THE UK Government’s former Minister for Employment has said the two child tax credit rule, branded a ‘rape clause’ by critics including Sinn Fein’s Debbie Coyle (above), has been introduced “in a fair way.”
Damian Hinds has told Fermanagh and Omagh District Council that Universal Credit is “already delivering big improvements to people’s lives.” Policy changes have placed a limit on child tax credits to a woman’s first two children. But a clause in the policy means a woman will be eligible for benefit claims on any subsequent child if she can prove the child was conceived by rape. In a letter to the Council Mr. Hinds said there will be exceptions to this policy and added: “Neither the Department for Work and Pensions nor HM Revenue and Customs staff will question the claimant about the incident nor will they be asked to identify the alleged perpetrator.”
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