Reform UK has reversed its stance on the two-child benefit cap, with Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick announcing the party would restore the limit in full. The move marks a significant policy shift from leader Nigel Farage’s previous position, who last year said he would scrap the cap and encourage larger families.
In his first major speech as shadow chancellor, Jenrick also outlined plans to reform the Motability scheme, restricting access for conditions like tennis elbow, and to limit benefits for mild mental health issues. Only British nationals would be eligible for benefits under a Reform government, he said.
Jenrick defended the U-turn, stating the party could not afford to maintain the current welfare system. “We want to help working families have more children. But right now, we just cannot afford to do so with welfare. So it has to go,” he told an audience in the City of London.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the announcement, calling it “shameful” and accusing Reform of wanting to “push hundreds of thousands of children into poverty”. Farage later clarified he had only intended to lift the cap for working British families, but his pro-family approach had “failed”.
On economic policy, Jenrick sought to reassure markets by affirming the independence of the Bank of England and retaining the Office for Budget Responsibility, despite previous calls from Farage to exert more political control over both institutions. The Bank would, however, be stripped of its net-zero responsibilities, which Jenrick described as a “distraction”.
