Putney families are set to benefit from a landmark Autumn Budget which scraps the two-child benefit cap and delivers targeted support with the cost of living. The changes will lift an estimated 2,310 children in Putney out of poverty, alongside measures to cut energy bills, raise wages and protect pensions.
Across the UK, ending the two-child cap will lift 450,000 children out of poverty. Combined with other Budget steps such as expanding free school meals, 550,000 children will be lifted out of poverty during this Parliament – the largest fall in child poverty on record.
Fleur Anderson MP said:
“This Budget is a welcome moment for families in Putney, Roehampton, Southfields and Wandsworth Town. For eight long years, the two-child benefit cap has pushed working families into hardship and forced parents into impossible choices. Scrapping it will give thousands of local children the fair start in life they deserve and will ease the pressure on parents who have been stretched to breaking point.
I have been contacted by so many parents over the years who are doing everything right, working hard, budgeting carefully, and yet still struggling to put food on the table because of this unfair policy. I brought their stories to Parliament, and I am delighted that the Chancellor has listened. This is not just the right thing to do morally, it is the smart thing to do economically, investing in children, reducing pressure on public services and strengthening our local economy.”
The scale of need in Putney has been underlined by the latest figures from the Trussell Trust. Between April last year and March this year, 5,991 emergency food parcels were distributed locally, including 2,056 to children. While scrapping the two-child cap will not end hardship overnight, it will be a major step towards reducing the reliance on food banks and tackling the root causes of poverty.
The Budget also included practical measures to help with day-to-day costs. From April 2026, households across Great Britain will save around £150 on average on their energy bills as some of the levies currently added to bills are removed, and the Warm Home Discount is expanded. This will be particularly important for older residents, people with long-term health conditions and families living in poorly insulated homes in Putney.
Working people and pensioners will also see a boost. The National Living Wage will rise from £12.21 to £12.71 per hour, benefiting many of those on low pay who work in shops, cafés, care homes and hospitality venues across Putney. The state pension will increase by 4.8%, providing extra reassurance for older residents worried about making ends meet.
For years, Fleur has campaigned in Parliament and locally for action on child poverty, food insecurity and spiralling household bills. She has worked closely with local schools, charities and food banks to highlight the cost-of-living crisis facing families in Putney and to push for targeted, long-term support.
Now, that sustained pressure has helped to deliver real change. Fleur will continue working in Parliament and with local partners to ensure that the benefits of this Budget are felt on every street in Putney, Roehampton, Southfields and Wandsworth Town, and to keep up the fight for a fairer deal for children, families and pensioners across the constituency.
