Ministers are facing a furious backlash today over a 'demeaning' form that asks rape victims to prove their child was 'conceived without consent'.

The controversial eight-page document has to be filled out in order for women to receive certain benefits.

But campaigners have branded it 'disgraceful', while charities have warned that women in Northern Ireland could fall foul of laws requiring them to have disclosed serious crimes. Bodies including the Royal College of Nursing have said they will not cooperate with the system.

The form has been produced as part of welfare changes limiting claims for child tax credit and Universal Credit to the first two children.

It means rape victims have to prove their third child was born as a result of sexual violence in order to qualify for an exemption.

The controversial eight-page document has to be filled out by women in England, Wales and Scotland in order to receive certain benefits

SNP MP Alison Thewliss condemned the document as 'demeaning' and 'disgraceful'

The HM Revenue & Customs form is titled: 'Support for a child conceived without your consent, including rape or while you were in a coercive or controlling relationship.'

It asks women to confirm that the 'non-consensual conception exception applies to my child', and that they are 'not living with the other parent of this child'.

The woman also has to get a 'healthcare professional' or 'registered social worker' to fill out another section.

To prove 'non-consensual conception' the professional has to certify that one of two things are true.

The first is that 'the claimant's circumstances are consistent with it being likely that the claimant conceived through an act by another person to which the claimant did not agree by choice'.

Or alternatively, the 'claimant's circumstances are consistent with it being likely that the claimant conceived through an act by another person to which the claimant lacked the freedom or capacity to agree by choice'.

The new benefits rules were first unveiled by George Osborne in his summer 2015 Budget. Rape campaigners have been warning that being forced to state their child was unwanted and relive their ordeal will cause victims extreme distress.

Rape Crisis Scotland said it would not be helping to fill out the forms because it was 'ethically unjustifiable'.

The form has been produced as part of welfare changes limiting claims for child tax credit and Universal Credit to the first two children

'Rape and sexual violence are amongst the most underreported, under-convicted crimes there are and certainly one of the most abhorrent,' the charity said.

'And yet despite knowing all of this this we have a policy launching today that could literally make women choose between poverty and telling someone – possibly for the first time ever – that they were raped.

'Hinging benefits on proving trauma isn’t a choice, it’s a disgrace and one which may well re-traumatise women.

SNP MP Alison Thewliss pointed out that while the two-child limit had been voted on by parliament, the 'rape clause' was not as it was appended to another law.

'From today women will need to prove that their child was conceived as a result of rape - just in order to claim tax credits,' she said.

'It is one of the most appalling, disgraceful and demeaning policies ever to emanate from Whitehall and should never have seen the light of day, let alone the statute books.

The form, NCC1 4/17, asks women to prove that their child was conceived 'without consent'

Woman also have to get a healthcare professional or social worker to fill out part of the form

'At every turn, Ministers have tried to quietly implement this policy under the radar, knowing how unworkable and immoral it is.

'It is scandalous that this policy was rail-roaded through Parliament without a vote or debate and it's simply not good enough that the Government has promised MPs an opportunity to consider this when Parliament returns after Easter.

'The reality is, this policy is now in force and it is going to cause untold distress and harm to vulnerable women.

'The rape clause and two child policy is in utter chaos - with no guidance or training having been provided to the public service workers who will now be arbitrating on the credibility of a woman's claim to have conceived as a result of rape. We are not letting this sail through without a fight.'

There have also been warnings that women in Northern Ireland could fall foul of laws requiring them to disclose serious crimes.

If they have not previously alerted the police to an assault, revealing it on the form could open them to prosecution.

SNP MP Alison Thewliss (pictured right) has been protesting against the change that prompted the introduction of the form today

Some 660,000 nurses, doctors and social workers in the UK have not been given adequate sexual violence awareness training to exercise the exemption, according to parliamentary answers obtained by Ms Thewliss.

A Government spokesman said: 'Our welfare reforms are incentivising work whilst ensuring everyone can access the support they need.

'We have always been clear these changes will be delivered in the most compassionate way and have consulted widely to ensure the right exceptions and safeguards are in place.

'We have thought carefully about how we will work with charities and health and social care professionals to support victims of rape.'