From the Nuffield Foundation based on research by the universities of York and Oxford, published today on child poverty in larger families, a damning critique of the Conservatives in Government:

The two-child limit was implemented in 2017. It prevents families from receiving
additional means-tested support for their third or subsequent children, worth
up to £3,235 a year per child in 2023/24. Because the policy only applies to
children born since 6 April 2017, the number of children affected by it increases
each year. By April 2023, 1.5 million children lived in families affected by the
two-child limit: equivalent to one in ten of all children (DWP, 2023b). There are
several exemptions to the two-child limit including multiple births, adopted
children, those living with kinship carers, and children conceived as a result of
rape and during abusive relationships.
Some families are affected by both policies at the same time; we estimate that
32,000 households containing 110,000 children were subject to both the benefit
cap and the two-child limit in March 2022.
Both policies disproportionately affect households with higher living costs,
particularly households living in private rented properties and those with larger
families, which in turn means they disproportionately affect minority ethnic
households. In addition, the policies disproportionally affect households that
are less able to increase their income through employment, particularly single
parent households and families with younger children.
These policies have contributed to the rising levels of child poverty in the 2010s,
which have predominately affected larger families. However, our quantitative
analysis shows that larger families were at risk of poverty even before the
introduction of the benefit cap and the two-child limit as a result of wider cuts
to social security benefits for families with children. In addition, the poverty rate
among children in larger families was rising despite increases in the employment
rates of their parents.
Both policies are highly unusual in international context. Our analysis of EU
countries found no equivalent to the benefit cap in any country bar Denmark.
Only three EU countries impose a cap in financial support as the number of
children in a household increase and in none of these is this as low as the UK
(i.e. two children only).

University of York Policy Engine on behalf of Dr Ruth Patrick, Benefit Changes and Larger Families project lead

Do I need to tell you what Labour, regardless of the protestations of their Scottish branch, will not do about this. See:

Labour would keep two-child benefit cap, says Keir Starmer: Leader says party in power will stick with Tory policy seen as driving low-income families into deeper poverty

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jul/16/labour-keep-two-child-benefit-cap-says-keir-starmer

What Nuffield wonder will happen next in Scotland:

There are growing differences in social security policy in the devolved
nations, and more must be done to track and understand how these differences
play out, using both quantitative and qualitative data sources.
In similar vein, whereas the Westminster government continues to defend
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the two-child limit, the Scottish government has introduced a Scottish Child
Payment, which is a means-tested payment to children set at £25 per week
per child for eligible children under 16 (Social Security Scotland, 2023). A family
with three children in their household could receive £300 a month through
this support. It will be vital to track what difference this makes to children’s
experiences and outcomes, especially when compared to experiences of
households outside Scotland that are not in receipt of this support.

What the Joseph Rowntree Foundation already knew in 2021:

Child poverty in Scotland’s larger families is at only two-thirds of the rate in England. Why?

Two reasons. More affordable housing (https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/poverty-scotland-2021) and the Child Payment:

The Scottish Government’s decisive and compassionate move to bring in the new Scottish Child Payment is the lifeline children and their families need, and is a beacon of progressive policy for the rest of the UK.https://www.jrf.org.uk/blog/scottish-child-payment-will-turn-tide-child-poverty

What is the Child Payment, unique to Scotland?

Scottish Child Payment helps towards the costs of supporting your family. It’s a weekly payment of £20* that you can get for every child you look after who’s under 6 years of age. You’ll get the payment every 4 weeks if your application is successful.https://www.mygov.scot/scottish-child-payment#:~:text=Contents&text=Scottish%20Child%20Payment%20helps%20towards,if%20your%20application%20is%20successful.

*to be increased to £25.

Remind me, which is really the party of the left in Scotland?