Hundreds of thousands of families could benefit to the tune of thousands of pounds a year from £2.2bn of “emergency” welfare reforms promised by Jeremy Corbyn, an influential think tank has said.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said that the abolition of the two-child limit for means-tested benefits would make 700,000 families better off by an average £3,000 a year, while scrapping the Conservatives’ benefits cap would put £2,000 a year into the pockets of around 100,000 households.
But the IFS warned that Labour’s longer-term plan to scrap Universal Credit altogether would involve “huge” upheaval and could be as complex and difficult as the process of introducing the system has been.
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Mr Corbyn has announced that an incoming Labour government would immediately:
* End the benefit cap and two-child limit;
UK news in pictures
Show all 50
UK news in pictures
1/50 28 September 2019
An Aldabra giant tortoise is fed watermelon as a treat at the Malvern Autumn Show, at the Three Counties Showground near Malvern in Worcestershire
2/50 27 September 2019
Gallery assistants pose with an artwork entitled ‘Devolved Parliament’ by British artist Banksy, during a press view in London ahead of Sotheby’s contemporary art sale, as part of the Frieze Art Fair
AFP/Getty
3/50 26 September 2019
England’s Jonathan Joseph is tackled by United State’s Marcel Brache during their group match at the Rugby World Cup in Japan. England scored seven tries on their way to winning 45-7
4/50 25 September 2019
Tributes for former Rangers player Fernando Ricksen at Ibrox Stadium. Today, the funeral procession will pass Ibrox Stadium before making the journey to Wellington Church
5/50 24 September 2019
A person dressed as a caricature of Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a prison uniform stands outside the Supreme Court after it ruled that his decision to suspend Parliament was illegal
AFP/Getty
6/50 23 September 2019
Thomas Cook aircraft are parked up at Manchester Airport on the day they collapsed after rescue talks failed. A total of 22,000 jobs – including 9,000 in UK – are to be lost following administration. More than 150,000 British holidaymakers need to be brought home, with the government and CAA hiring dozens of charter planes to fly customers home free of charge
7/50 22 September 2019
Fire performer Penella Bee performs before people take part in the North East Skinny Dip at Druridge Bay in Nothumberland, an annual event that marks the Autumn Equinox and raises money for MIND – the Mental Health Charity
8/50 21 September 2019
Protesters gather for a march and rally organised by “The People’s Vote” in Brighton, to call for politicians to give the public a final say referendum on Brexit
AFP/Getty
9/50 20 September 2019
Protesters in London joined millions across world to demand urgent action to save planet in the largest environmental protest in history
Angela Christofilou/The Independent
10/50 19 September 2019
Rapper Dave poses with the Mercury Prize: Albums of the Year Award at Apollo
11/50 18 September 2019
A surfer in action during sunrise at Tynemouth on the north east coast
12/50 17 September 2019
Protesters dressed as the Incredible Hulk and Robocop outside the Supreme Court in London where judges are due to consider legal challenges to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend Parliament. The Supreme Court will hear appeals over three days from two separate challenges to the prorogation of Parliament brought in England and Scotland
13/50 16 September 2019
Farmer Tom Hoggard harvests pumpkins at Howe Bridge Farm in Yorkshire, ahead of Halloween
14/50 15 September 2019
Team Europe celebrate winning the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles in Auchterarder, Scotland. Europe won the last three singles matches to claim victory 14½-13½
Sunset at St Mary’s Lighthouse in Whitley Bay
16/50 13 September 2019
Activists from PETA stage a demonstration outside a venue during London Fashion Week in London, Britain
17/50 12 September 2019
Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne attempts to stop a boundary in the fifth Test
Action Images via Reuters
18/50 11 September 2019
Storm clouds gather over the pier just off the North East coast at South Shields
19/50 10 September 2019
The peloton rides past the Angel of the North during stage four of the Tour of Britain from Gateshead to Kendal
20/50 9 September 2019
A penny farthing cyclist rides past St. John’s, Smith Square, Westminster, London
21/50 8 September 2019
Australia celebrate the wicket of England’s Craig Overton, which meant they won the fourth test and retained the Ashes
Action Images via Reuters
22/50 7 September 2019
Manchester City celebrate after Caroline Weir scored during their Women’s Super League match against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. The WSL attendance record was smashed with 31,213 people watching the first Manchester derby of Women’s Super League era – nearly six times the previous WSL record
23/50 6 September 2019
A bull bumps into a plain clothes police officer (left) while being walked by Prime Minister Boris Johnson during his visit to Darnford Farm in Banchory near Aberdeen. It coincided with the publication of Lord Bew’s review and an announcement of extra funding for Scottish farmers
24/50 5 September 2019
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon cuts the hair of David Torrance MSP raising £1000 for the charity Maggie’s Centre in Kirkcaldy at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh
25/50 4 September 2019
Australia’s David Warner looks dejected after being dismissed by England’s Stuart Broad during day one of the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford in Manchester
26/50 3 September 2019
Anti Brexit demonstrators attend a protest at Parliament Square. Lawmakers returned from their summer recess Tuesday for a pivotal day in British politics as they challenged Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s insistence that the UK leave the European Union on 31 October, even without a withdrawal agreement to cushion the economic blow
27/50 2 September 2019
Set building begins on Waterloo Place in Edinburgh ahead of filming for Fast and Furious 9
28/50 1 September 2019
Members of the Royal Southern Yacht Club and the Island Sailing Club take part during the annual cricket match between the clubs, which takes place on the Bramble Bank sandbank in the middle of the Solent at low tide
Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate at Whitehall in London
30/50 30 August 2019
One of the iconic ‘Girl with Balloon’ artworks by anonymous street artist Banksy is carried near one of the original locations the artwork appeared at on the Southbank in London
31/50 29 August 2019
The sun rises over the sculpture “The Couple” by artist Sean Henry, at Newbiggin-by-the-sea in Northumberland
32/50 28 August 2019
A person wearing a Boris Johnson ‘head’ digs a grave at the foot of a tombstone during a protest organised by Avaaz and Best for Britain, outside Downing Street in London
33/50 27 August 2019
Nat Lofthouse statue is covered in flags at the University of Bolton Stadium, Bolton
Action Images via Reuters
34/50 26 August 2019
Performers take part in Notting Hill Carnival. Nearly one million people were expected to attend Sunday and Monday’s carnival to celebrate Caribbean culture
AFP/Getty
35/50 25 August 2019
A competitor swims in the World Bog Snorkelling Championships in Llanwryd Wells, Powys
36/50 24 August 2019
People flock to Bournemouth beach as a heatwave spells potentially record high temperatures for the bank holiday weekend
37/50 23 August 2019
Fans of Bury FC deliver a symbolic coffin to the club’s home at Gigg Lane as the continuation of their membership to the football league lies in doubt. The club will lose their membership at midnight if they don’t find a buyer or prove that they have the means to pay off their debts
38/50 22 August 2019
Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow DEFRA Secretary Sue Hayman during a visit to Rakefoot Farm, Castlerigg, Keswick where they are highlighting the danger of a No Deal Brexit to sheep farmers
39/50 21 August 2019
Festival goers walk along the towpath of the River Thames as they arrive for the Reading Festival at Richfield Avenue
40/50 20 August 2019
Police officers gather to pay their respects at the scene near Ufton Lane, where Thames Valley Police officer PC Andrew Harper, 28, died on Thursday. Jed Foster, 20, has appeared at Reading Magristrates’ Court where denied any involvement with the murder
41/50 19 August 2019
A fire that broke out at the site of Village Bakery on Coed Aben Road, Wrexham Industrial Estate in Wales
Jord_wxm29/Twitter/PA
42/50 18 August 2019
England fielders crowd Pat Cummins as he see’s out the final over during day five of the second Ashes Test match against Australia at Lord’s Cricket Ground. The test ended in a draw
43/50 17 August 2019
Glew (centre) and Monroe Adams (right) pose for a selfie with a member of the public outside DragWorld London 2019, Europe’s largest drag convention, featuring drag stars from the US and UK during a two-day event at Olympia, London
44/50 16 August 2019
A grey seal with fishing net tangled around its neck amongst the colony on the beach at Horsey in Norfolk, as RSPCA data show the number of animals affected by plastic litter is at an all-time high, with incidents increasing by 22% in just four years
45/50 15 August 2019
A flock of sheep are herded past government buildings in London by members of Farmers for a People’s Vote, a campaign group
46/50 14 August 2019
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg speaks during a press conference at the Mayflower Marina in Plymouth, southwest England, on August 14, 2019, ahead of her journey across the Atlantic to New York, aboard the Malizia II IMOCA class sailing yacht, where she will attend the UN Climate Action Summit next month. – A year after her school strike made her a figurehead for climate activists, Greta Thunberg believes her uncompromising message about global warming is getting through — even if action remains thin on the ground. The 16-year-old Swede, who sets sail for New York this week to take her message to the United States, has been a target for abuse but sees that as proof she is having an effect
AFP/Getty
47/50 12 August 2019
A hare runs on a moor near Ripon, North Yorkshire
48/50 11 August 2019
Britain’s Jamie Chadwick wins first-ever W Series title. She pocketed a prize of £410,000 and, having been signed as a development driver for Williams, she keeps up her hopes of making it into Formula One
49/50 10 August 2019
People gather on the beach as a raft carrying people dressed as clowns heads to shore during the annual Whitby Regatta in Whitby, England. At over 170 years old, the Whitby Regatta is thought to be the oldest sea regatta on the northeast coast of England and draws thousands of visitors each year
50/50 9 August 2019
Burryman Andrew Taylor, gets a nip of whisky using a straw, from resident Mary Hamblin, 82, as he parades through the town of South Queensferry, near Edinburgh, encased in burrs. The parade takes place on the second Friday of August each year and although the exact meaning of this tradition has been lost through the years it is thought to have begun in the 17th Century. The tradition is believed to bring good luck to the towns people if they give him whisky offered through a straw or a donation of money
1/50 28 September 2019
An Aldabra giant tortoise is fed watermelon as a treat at the Malvern Autumn Show, at the Three Counties Showground near Malvern in Worcestershire
2/50 27 September 2019
Gallery assistants pose with an artwork entitled ‘Devolved Parliament’ by British artist Banksy, during a press view in London ahead of Sotheby’s contemporary art sale, as part of the Frieze Art Fair
AFP/Getty
3/50 26 September 2019
England’s Jonathan Joseph is tackled by United State’s Marcel Brache during their group match at the Rugby World Cup in Japan. England scored seven tries on their way to winning 45-7
4/50 25 September 2019
Tributes for former Rangers player Fernando Ricksen at Ibrox Stadium. Today, the funeral procession will pass Ibrox Stadium before making the journey to Wellington Church
5/50 24 September 2019
A person dressed as a caricature of Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a prison uniform stands outside the Supreme Court after it ruled that his decision to suspend Parliament was illegal
AFP/Getty
6/50 23 September 2019
Thomas Cook aircraft are parked up at Manchester Airport on the day they collapsed after rescue talks failed. A total of 22,000 jobs – including 9,000 in UK – are to be lost following administration. More than 150,000 British holidaymakers need to be brought home, with the government and CAA hiring dozens of charter planes to fly customers home free of charge
7/50 22 September 2019
Fire performer Penella Bee performs before people take part in the North East Skinny Dip at Druridge Bay in Nothumberland, an annual event that marks the Autumn Equinox and raises money for MIND – the Mental Health Charity
8/50 21 September 2019
Protesters gather for a march and rally organised by “The People’s Vote” in Brighton, to call for politicians to give the public a final say referendum on Brexit
AFP/Getty
9/50 20 September 2019
Protesters in London joined millions across world to demand urgent action to save planet in the largest environmental protest in history
Angela Christofilou/The Independent
10/50 19 September 2019
Rapper Dave poses with the Mercury Prize: Albums of the Year Award at Apollo
11/50 18 September 2019
A surfer in action during sunrise at Tynemouth on the north east coast
12/50 17 September 2019
Protesters dressed as the Incredible Hulk and Robocop outside the Supreme Court in London where judges are due to consider legal challenges to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend Parliament. The Supreme Court will hear appeals over three days from two separate challenges to the prorogation of Parliament brought in England and Scotland
13/50 16 September 2019
Farmer Tom Hoggard harvests pumpkins at Howe Bridge Farm in Yorkshire, ahead of Halloween
14/50 15 September 2019
Team Europe celebrate winning the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles in Auchterarder, Scotland. Europe won the last three singles matches to claim victory 14½-13½
Sunset at St Mary’s Lighthouse in Whitley Bay
16/50 13 September 2019
Activists from PETA stage a demonstration outside a venue during London Fashion Week in London, Britain
17/50 12 September 2019
Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne attempts to stop a boundary in the fifth Test
Action Images via Reuters
18/50 11 September 2019
Storm clouds gather over the pier just off the North East coast at South Shields
19/50 10 September 2019
The peloton rides past the Angel of the North during stage four of the Tour of Britain from Gateshead to Kendal
20/50 9 September 2019
A penny farthing cyclist rides past St. John’s, Smith Square, Westminster, London
21/50 8 September 2019
Australia celebrate the wicket of England’s Craig Overton, which meant they won the fourth test and retained the Ashes
Action Images via Reuters
22/50 7 September 2019
Manchester City celebrate after Caroline Weir scored during their Women’s Super League match against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. The WSL attendance record was smashed with 31,213 people watching the first Manchester derby of Women’s Super League era – nearly six times the previous WSL record
23/50 6 September 2019
A bull bumps into a plain clothes police officer (left) while being walked by Prime Minister Boris Johnson during his visit to Darnford Farm in Banchory near Aberdeen. It coincided with the publication of Lord Bew’s review and an announcement of extra funding for Scottish farmers
24/50 5 September 2019
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon cuts the hair of David Torrance MSP raising £1000 for the charity Maggie’s Centre in Kirkcaldy at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh
25/50 4 September 2019
Australia’s David Warner looks dejected after being dismissed by England’s Stuart Broad during day one of the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford in Manchester
26/50 3 September 2019
Anti Brexit demonstrators attend a protest at Parliament Square. Lawmakers returned from their summer recess Tuesday for a pivotal day in British politics as they challenged Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s insistence that the UK leave the European Union on 31 October, even without a withdrawal agreement to cushion the economic blow
27/50 2 September 2019
Set building begins on Waterloo Place in Edinburgh ahead of filming for Fast and Furious 9
28/50 1 September 2019
Members of the Royal Southern Yacht Club and the Island Sailing Club take part during the annual cricket match between the clubs, which takes place on the Bramble Bank sandbank in the middle of the Solent at low tide
Anti-Brexit protesters demonstrate at Whitehall in London
30/50 30 August 2019
One of the iconic ‘Girl with Balloon’ artworks by anonymous street artist Banksy is carried near one of the original locations the artwork appeared at on the Southbank in London
31/50 29 August 2019
The sun rises over the sculpture “The Couple” by artist Sean Henry, at Newbiggin-by-the-sea in Northumberland
32/50 28 August 2019
A person wearing a Boris Johnson ‘head’ digs a grave at the foot of a tombstone during a protest organised by Avaaz and Best for Britain, outside Downing Street in London
33/50 27 August 2019
Nat Lofthouse statue is covered in flags at the University of Bolton Stadium, Bolton
Action Images via Reuters
34/50 26 August 2019
Performers take part in Notting Hill Carnival. Nearly one million people were expected to attend Sunday and Monday’s carnival to celebrate Caribbean culture
AFP/Getty
35/50 25 August 2019
A competitor swims in the World Bog Snorkelling Championships in Llanwryd Wells, Powys
36/50 24 August 2019
People flock to Bournemouth beach as a heatwave spells potentially record high temperatures for the bank holiday weekend
37/50 23 August 2019
Fans of Bury FC deliver a symbolic coffin to the club’s home at Gigg Lane as the continuation of their membership to the football league lies in doubt. The club will lose their membership at midnight if they don’t find a buyer or prove that they have the means to pay off their debts
38/50 22 August 2019
Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow DEFRA Secretary Sue Hayman during a visit to Rakefoot Farm, Castlerigg, Keswick where they are highlighting the danger of a No Deal Brexit to sheep farmers
39/50 21 August 2019
Festival goers walk along the towpath of the River Thames as they arrive for the Reading Festival at Richfield Avenue
40/50 20 August 2019
Police officers gather to pay their respects at the scene near Ufton Lane, where Thames Valley Police officer PC Andrew Harper, 28, died on Thursday. Jed Foster, 20, has appeared at Reading Magristrates’ Court where denied any involvement with the murder
41/50 19 August 2019
A fire that broke out at the site of Village Bakery on Coed Aben Road, Wrexham Industrial Estate in Wales
Jord_wxm29/Twitter/PA
42/50 18 August 2019
England fielders crowd Pat Cummins as he see’s out the final over during day five of the second Ashes Test match against Australia at Lord’s Cricket Ground. The test ended in a draw
43/50 17 August 2019
Glew (centre) and Monroe Adams (right) pose for a selfie with a member of the public outside DragWorld London 2019, Europe’s largest drag convention, featuring drag stars from the US and UK during a two-day event at Olympia, London
44/50 16 August 2019
A grey seal with fishing net tangled around its neck amongst the colony on the beach at Horsey in Norfolk, as RSPCA data show the number of animals affected by plastic litter is at an all-time high, with incidents increasing by 22% in just four years
45/50 15 August 2019
A flock of sheep are herded past government buildings in London by members of Farmers for a People’s Vote, a campaign group
46/50 14 August 2019
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg speaks during a press conference at the Mayflower Marina in Plymouth, southwest England, on August 14, 2019, ahead of her journey across the Atlantic to New York, aboard the Malizia II IMOCA class sailing yacht, where she will attend the UN Climate Action Summit next month. – A year after her school strike made her a figurehead for climate activists, Greta Thunberg believes her uncompromising message about global warming is getting through — even if action remains thin on the ground. The 16-year-old Swede, who sets sail for New York this week to take her message to the United States, has been a target for abuse but sees that as proof she is having an effect
AFP/Getty
47/50 12 August 2019
A hare runs on a moor near Ripon, North Yorkshire
48/50 11 August 2019
Britain’s Jamie Chadwick wins first-ever W Series title. She pocketed a prize of £410,000 and, having been signed as a development driver for Williams, she keeps up her hopes of making it into Formula One
49/50 10 August 2019
People gather on the beach as a raft carrying people dressed as clowns heads to shore during the annual Whitby Regatta in Whitby, England. At over 170 years old, the Whitby Regatta is thought to be the oldest sea regatta on the northeast coast of England and draws thousands of visitors each year
50/50 9 August 2019
Burryman Andrew Taylor, gets a nip of whisky using a straw, from resident Mary Hamblin, 82, as he parades through the town of South Queensferry, near Edinburgh, encased in burrs. The parade takes place on the second Friday of August each year and although the exact meaning of this tradition has been lost through the years it is thought to have begun in the 17th Century. The tradition is believed to bring good luck to the towns people if they give him whisky offered through a straw or a donation of money
* Suspend sanctions on claimants;
* Cease the requirement to make claims via the internet; and
* Shorten from five to two weeks the wait for first payments and split payments between the accounts of adults in a household.
Speaking in the Chingford constituency of the architect of universal credit, Iain Duncan Smith, the Labour leader also made clear he would scrap the system altogether in the longer term.
“When a Labour government takes office we will introduce an emergency package of reforms to end the worst aspects of universal credit,” he said.
“And we will introduce a new system that will be based on the principles of dignity and respect and it will alleviate and end poverty, not drive people into it.”
The IFS said that the impact of the two-child limit’s removal would be felt gradually as eligible families had more offspring, but that it would eventually cost the government around £2bn a year.
Abolishing the benefit cap would cost around £200m annually, with the majority of winners being people with several children or high housing costs.
IFS research economist Tom Waters said: “The proposals announced by Labour today would, compared to current policy plans, top up the incomes of a significant number of low-income households – in some cases by thousands of pounds per year. They do not, however, amount to anything close to a scrapping of universal credit.
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“If the longer term intention is really to scrap universal credit entirely, this would effectively be a commitment to re-design the entire working-age means-tested benefits system for the second time in a decade.
“There are so many ways to design a benefits system that it is impossible to appraise this idea properly until we know something about it.”
