Judicial victory for kinship carers

Cathy Ashley, Chief Executive of Family Rights Group and spokesperson for the Kinship Care Alliance commented:

“Today’s High Court judgment on kinship care and the two child tax credit limit is hugely welcome.

The Department for Work and Pensions had chosen to penalise some kinship carers including sibling carers, who were raising their younger brothers and sisters and subsequently had their own baby after April 2017. These kinship carers were prevented from claiming child tax credit for their own child, if there were already two or more children in the household. It was a pernicious and unjust approach that was criticised by ourselves, some MPs and peers. The High Court has rightly found it to be perverse and unlawful. It is just a shame the Government did not listen earlier and that Child Poverty Action Group have had to take the case to the High Court for justice to be done.

Kinship carers are raising children, many of whom cannot live safely with their parents and who would otherwise be in the care system at great public expense. Half of kinship carers have to give up work to take on children and most are forced into poverty. Some are then hit by the benefit cap and other welfare reforms. At least now, however, this injustice in relation to the two child tax credit limit is being fixed – that is a victory.

We are extremely grateful to Child Poverty Action Group, to Melanie Onn MP who championed this in Parliament and to kinship carers and others who campaigned on this issue”.

For more information about the judgment:
http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/two-child-limit-challenge

For more information about kinship care and the 2 child tax credit limit:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/01/kinship-carers-denied-thousands-of-pounds-over-two-child-cap

For more information about the financial hardship faced by kinship carers:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/apr/08/kinship-carers-left-poor-and-homeless-by-welfare-reforms?CMP=share_btn_tw