Boris Johnson vows to 'rectify injustice' of 'rape clause' in benefit rules
11 March 2020, 12:32
The Prime Minister has said the Government's so-called "rape clause" is an "injustice" which needs rectifying.
Boris Johnson was responding to a question from Jeremy Corbyn at Prime Minister's Questions.
The Labour leader said: "The Prime Minister supports the absolutely horrendous rape clause in the child tax credit rules.
"Why does he think it's right that 200 mothers have to prove to the Government their child was conceived as a result of being raped so they can keep their child tax credits?"
Mr Corbyn was referring to the policy of limiting tax credits to a family's first two children for the payment of Child Tax Credits which ministers have repeatedly faced calls to abandon.
Some campaigners have referred to it as a 'rape clause' due to one of the exemptions to the cap being the conception of the child during non-consensual sex or sex in an abusive relationship.
The criminal offence of rape doesn’t have to be proven but evidence of non-consensual sex-related to conception must be provided.
In his reply, Mr Johson said: "On his point about the recipients of benefit, he draws attention to an injustice and we will do everything we can to rectify it."
