THE Bishop of Dorking has called for the Government to make amendments to a bill which could see "hundreds of thousands of children plunged into poverty".
The Right Reverend Ian Brackley has backed The Children's Society in its bid to make changes to the Welfare Benefit Uprating Bill currently going through Parliament.
The bill will limit the amount by which most key benefits and tax credits can rise each year to one per cent, regardless of how much prices increase.
Mr Brackley is among 43 bishops who have signed an open letter calling for support for children to be omitted from the bill, which will be debated in the House of Lords on Tuesday.
He said: "Whatever the political persuasion of any government, the church has a duty to stand up for those on the margins of society and to draw attention to their plight.
"The proposals in the Welfare Benefit Bill will have the greatest effect upon those who can least afford it, especially on families with young children."
Mr Brackley added: "Although it is recognised that these are tough economic times and measures have to be taken to redress the balance, the Government must be made aware of the likely effect of what they are proposing and encouraged to modify their proposals and seek a fairer way forward."
Amendments would seek to remove child tax credit, child benefit and child additions within universal credit from the scope of the bill. Matthew Reed, chief executive of The Children's Society, said: "Millions of struggling families now face the double blow of rising costs and cuts to support.
"If this bill is passed as it stands, it will make life so much harder for 11.5 million children and their families.
"This hardship penalty punishes families from all walks of life, whether they are working or looking for work. But the poorest children will take the biggest hit. This is unjustifiable. The Government must not balance the books on the backs of children."
