Gordon Brown calls to lift restrictions on child benefits

• Gordon Brown calls to lift restrictions on child benefits.
• Proposals regarding the reform of taxes on gambling for financing social programs.
• Critics believe that lifting restrictions will reduce the level of child poverty.

Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of Great Britain, warns that the country is experiencing the worst conditions of poverty in the last 60 years. He calls to lift restrictions on benefits for children, which only apply to two children in a family, during the upcoming budget. Brown believes this will help raise nearly half a million children out of poverty.

He emphasized that for 14 years the harsh economy under the leadership of conservatives has led to a social crisis. The restrictions, introduced by former Chancellor George Osborne in 2017, prevent parents from receiving benefits for the third and subsequent children.

Brown indicated the necessity of reforming taxes on gambling to collect £3.2 billion to finance this restriction. He noted that the gambling industry is insufficiently taxed, and this could be an opportunity for financing social programs.

At the same time, political critics believe that lifting restrictions will be an effective step in the fight against child poverty, as nearly 100 children fall into poverty every day due to this policy. However, the decision to lift the restrictions likely will not be included in the publication of the government strategy on child poverty, which was delayed until autumn.

Brown urged the government not to ignore this problem, which is "a stain on our society," and pointed to the increasing number of children living in poverty. Proposals for increasing taxes on gambling include raising tax rates on online casinos and gaming machines.

Tags: Politics/Well-being