Labour’s Two‑Child Benefit Cap: The Public’s Mixed Feelings
When Labour hinted it might reconsider the cap on benefits for families with more than two children, a fresh Opinium poll already sparked a backlash. Let’s cut through the jargon and see what the numbers actually say.
Cap‑Support sizzles across the political spectrum
- 44% of all UK voters back the cap, while 56% oppose it.
- Labour faithful? 42% in the camp for the cap, yet 26% say “no‑no”.
- Farage’s flock is even more supportive: 59% for the cap, a mere 14% against.
- Parents are almost split in their opinion: 43% favour the cap, 28% reject it.
When fairness or the price of care is pushed to the front, the picture changes a bit:
- 30% say the cap is “right” even if it chops budgets.
- 22% think it’s not right but the government can’t afford to drop it.
- Only 17% feel the cap is morally wrong and that the state can afford to lift it.
Party leaders’ popularity—down, down, down
- Keir Starmer’s approval fell to -37% (down 3 points).
- Kemi Badenoch dropped 7 points, landing at -27%.
- Nigel Farage and Ed Davey saw a 5‑point drop each, yielding -11% and -4% respectively.
In the “who’s the best for Prime Minister?” poll, the public is still indecisive:
- 24% (no change) favour Starmer.
- 11% (down 2 points) back Badenoch.
- 48% of voters (also down 2) are comfortable with neither.
Education: The public’s grim outlook vs. parents’ optimism
- 45% feel schools poorly ready kids for adult life; 46% say they poorly prepare for work.
- Parents are kinder: 33% say schools do their job for both life and work.
- 56% of parents believe every child sees a minimum standard, while only 43% of the general public agree.
- Parents are more confident in support for special needs students (32% vs 24% overall). However, 24% of all adults still feel low‑income kids lack the skills needed to succeed.
Opinium’s Take
James Crouch, head of public affairs, summed it up: “Both Labour and Reform may want to drop the cap, but the data suggests their own voters aren’t in sync with the move. If the cap isn’t affordable in the eyes of the public, the leaders could be playing out of tune.”
