THE DWP has doubled down on its defence of the two-child cap as a campaigning MP repeats demands to scrap it on its second anniversary.

Alison Thewliss, the MP who uncovered the detail of the associated rape clause in government papers, has pressed the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to cancel the cap since before it was brought into use two years ago today.

The rule change limits child-tax credit and the child element of Universal Credit to just two youngsters per family, with an exception for any subsequent children conceived through rape. That exemption is only available to mothers who have made an application to the Government and undergone an interview about the circumstances through a third party professional.

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In Northern Ireland, these declarations must be reported to police, despite the wishes of individual women.

In January, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd announced a significant change to the policy, which was drawn up under then-chancellor George Osborne as part of measures to cut welfare spending.

That change will mean families whose children were born before the restrictions were introduced can continue to receive support for each of them.

An estimated 15,000 households will benefit from that decision. But Thewliss says it is time for the DWP to bin the “two-tier system” completely.

She told The National: “Last month I chaired a roundtable discussion on the two-child limit and rape clause attended by a host of charities, religious groups and other organisations, and the enduring opposition to this vile policy was overwhelming.

“Tinkering around the edges of the legislation just doesn’t cut it. It still forces women into terminating healthy pregnancies, it still discriminates against religious and ethnic minorities, and it still puts vulnerable women at risk.

“In March, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women was damning in its assessment of the UK Government’s welfare system and expressed its ‘deep concern’ at the introduction of the two-child limit. Indeed, their report recommends it be repealed altogether.

“In changing the rules for children born before April 6 2017 – essentially creating a two-tier system – the Secretary of State has acknowledged the fundamental unfairness of this policy. She must listen to the opinion of the United Nations, take the next step, and scrap it completely.”

But last night the DWP maintained it was acting fairly. A spokesperson said: “The two-child policy ensures fairness by asking parents in receipt of benefits to face the same financial choices as people in work. But this change won’t be applied retroactively, so as to provide fairness for parents who planned their futures with the expectation this support would be in place.

“We have always been clear that this policy will be delivered in the most compassionate way, with the right exceptions and safeguards in place ensuring women in these awful circumstances are supported in every way, so they can receive the help that they need.”

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John Dickie, director of the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, said: “The two-child limit is a pernicious, poverty-producing policy. Even when times are tough, parents share family resources equally among their children. This measure treats some children as less deserving of support purely because of their order of birth.

“With statistics published just last week showing child poverty in Scotland is rising, we need government at all levels to act. The UK Government should end this policy that, alongside the benefit freeze and cap, is part of a system pushing families into real hardship.”