Large families on benefits should be able to decide if they can afford to have more children, like most families do. This is what Mr Duncan Smith will say tonight in a lecture at the University of Cambridge.
Ahead of the speech, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that limiting child-related benefits is not so much about ‘penalising’ families or saving money. He said, ‘It’s not just about the money, because it’s also about children growing up in workless households. Their lives are destroyed by this. They need also to learn that it’s the right thing for parents to go to work.’
The work and pensions secretary also said the proposal to cap child-related benefits at two children would prevent a ‘clustering’ of large families on ‘significant levels of welfare’. He insisted it was a question of fairness to those who were in work and paying taxes to support welfare.
Child poverty campaigners expressed concerns at the proposals. Alison Garnham, chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group, said that welfare cuts are affecting hardworking families on low income rather than problem families.
She said, ‘Six out of ten poor children come from working families. A child in poverty is much more likely to be in poverty because they have a parent who is a security guard or a cleaner than one who is a drug addict or "feckless".
‘This idea is out of touch with the realities of people’s lives - how many potential parents can be sure they will still have the same job in nine months time?’
Commenting on the government proposal to cap child-related benefits at two children, Fiona Weir, chief executive of single-parent charity Gingerbread, said, ‘A cap on child-related benefits for families with more than two children would have a devastating impact on children.
‘The reality is that many parents will find themselves cycling in and out of work as stable, well-paid jobs are difficult to come by. Families cannot be expected to predict the future state of the economy and adjust their family size accordingly.
‘Instead of penalising families, the Government must focus on providing real solutions to get more people into work, such as affordable childcare, more flexible working options for today’s modern families and ensuring that the welfare system supports people into work and out of poverty.’
Mr Duncan Smith underlined his message about the need to create a cultural change through welfare reform earlier this month at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.
His proposal follows Chancellor George Osborne’s suggestion at the Tory Conference that large families could be denied extra support if they have more children.
Almost 8 million families receive child benefit and 1.2 million have more than two children.