Why is there fresh controversy over the two-child benefit cap?

Scottish Labour have continued to demand that the cap be scrapped.

This week Mr Sarwar told the Daily Record, external newspaper that the limit is “wrong” and “needs to be reversed”.

However he added that he was “pushing at an open door” as he believes the prime minister is keen to remove the cap as soon as financially possible.

Wendy Chamberlain, the deputy leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats said scrapping the act would be the “quickest and most cost-effective way” to help children out of poverty.

Mr Sarwar’s calls came as DWP statistics showed a total of 440,000 households across the UK were not receiving benefits for at least one child because of the policy.

Of that number, 59%, or 270,000, have at least one parent “in work”.

And of those households affected, 26,000, or 6%, are in Scotland – a 7.7% increase on the previous year’s figure of 24,160.

A further 1,000 or so Scottish households were granted an exception.

The figures also revealed that the most affected council area in Scotland is in Glasgow (4,500 households) followed by Fife (2,100) and North Lanarkshire (2,000).

Claire Telfer, from charity Save the Children Scotland, called the newest figures an “outrage” and “cruel”.