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The new Tory welfare chief faced a furious row today after she denied cruel cuts are driving children into poverty.

Thérèse Coffey attacked MPs' claims there is a "causal link" between the Tories' two-child cap on benefits and families turning to food banks.

A June 2019 study for the Child Poverty Action Group found victims of the two-child policy were cutting back on fresh food for their children, withdrawing them from swimming lessons and school trips or even considering abortions.

Yet the Work and Pensions Secretary was "not sure I agree" the scheme - which hit households with 592,000 kids in its first two years - had caused destitution. She added it was a "popular policy" and she "fully supports" it.

And she defended a string of other divisive aspects of the benefit system - drawing anger from campaigners who were hoping for a focus on reform.

Labour MP Neil Coyle blasted: "You are quite prepared and are comfortable with children today being forced to rely on handouts, food banks and living in destitution?"

(Image: Getty Images)

Ms Coffey told the MP: "It's not a con sequitur" [something that logically follows from something else]. Mr Coyle replied: "It’s the reality! And if you’re not comfortable with reality that’s a big problem!"

The two-child limit prevents parents claiming Child Tax Credits or Universal Credit for "third or subsequent" children born after 6 April 2017 - a cut of up to £2,780 per child.

Ms Coffey revealed she was in "active discussion" about "another sticking plaster" to help people with housing costs under the two-child cap.

Previous plans to extend the cap to kids born before 2017 have already been scrapped.

But she resisted claims it had driven poverty.

Ms Coffey said: "You’re trying to say it’s a causal link." Mr Coyle fumed: "There is a causal link between the policy and destitution and poverty. Yes. Absolutely. 100%."

(Image: UK Parliament)

"I’m not sure I agree with that assertion," the Tory DWP chief replied. Mr Coyle shot back: "Well then you’re not accepting reality!"

Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Margaret Greenwood slammed the Tory minister's "breathtaking" comments.

She said: “It is breathtaking that against all the evidence Thérèse Coffey refuses to accept the two-child limit is a cause of child poverty and has failed to give any commitment to end the benefits freeze.

“The two-child limit is not ‘sensible’ as the Secretary of State claims, but a cruel policy that sends a message that one child matters more than another because of the order in which they are born."

It came as Ms Coffey faced a stormy two-hour grilling from MPs on the Work and Pensions Committee a month after replacing Amber Rudd, who quit over Brexit .

There were angry exchanges as she:

Refused to guarantee the benefit freeze will end in April;

Claimed Universal Credit is "working" in her seat with a score of "9.9/10";

Claimed forcing UC claimants to borrow an advance from their own future benefits to bridge a 5-week gap "actually works";

Revealed officials are looking at making the Universal Credit work allowance more generous;

But refused to introduce automatic split payments to couples on UC, despite fears abuse victims are being financially controlled;

And refused to say how many DWP staff are forced to rely on benefits themselves, claiming it was "personal data";

Confirmed a review of benefit sanctions will be published by Christmas;

Confirmed DWP is now investigating 85,000 suspected advance payment frauds after Universal Credit claimants fell victim to a scam;

Confirmed 20,000 severely disabled people unlawfully lost out on cash when they moved to UC. So far 14,000 have been repaid an average of £2,280 each.

Ms Coffey was questioned in her first hearing at the Commons Work and Pensions Committee, where she claimed she would take a scientific approach to benefits.

(Image: UK Parliament)

She spoke of "product lines" and a "balance sheet" in analysing whether welfare is working - despite a tide of human stories about failures in the system.

"I’m the only person in government who’s got a PhD in science," she told MPs. "I’m driven a lot by data analysis and really trying to get to the nitty gritty."

Ms Coffey boasted Universal Credit is working fine in her own rural seat - despite an avalanche of complaints from deprived areas.

"In Suffolk Coastal? 9.9 out of 10. No question. It’s working," she said.

She also defended the advance payment system under Universal Credit - which makes families borrow against future benefits while they wait five weeks for payment.

Lib Dem MP Heidi Allen fumed: "Just objectively, imagine living on such a tiny amount of money that is not enough to live on, and then you’ve got to pay some of it back? How can that work?

"I’m talking about people with no food in the cupboard, not a penny in the bank."

Committee chair Frank Field added: "I see people who are hungry and who are driven to destitution... It's pretty grim."

(Image: UK Parliament)

Ms Coffey refused to confirm the four-year benefit freeze will end in April - despite an inflation-busting 3.9% rise in the state pension.

She told MPs the DWP is in talks with the Treasury over 120 benefit rates. But she added: "Until I get the analysis which is due before the end of the month, then I won’t be in a position to say exactly what we’ll do on every single product line.”

She added: "I think there’s a general desire from the PM to see how we have that increased prosperity and how we then share the benefits of increased prosperity with everyone in society.

"I can’t give you a definitive outcome. We’re looking very carefully right now on what we can do about the benefits going forward from 2020."

(Image: UIG via Getty Images)

Ms Coffey said she was in talks to raise the 'work allowance' in Universal Credit - the amount people can earn before their benefits are tapered away. Last year it was made £1,000 a year more generous.

Ms Coffey said: "I think it’s important that we need to see what the outcomes are that we want.

"So consideration about things like increasing the work allowance on Universal Credit before the taper kicks in - trying to do what we can about that element as well.

"Those sorts of analysis is ongoing."

But the DWP chief refused committee chief Frank Field's calls to disclose how many of the department's own staff are relying on welfare due to low wages.

"That’s personal data. We can’t do that Frank," she said.

And she refused calls to introduce automatic "split payments" for couples on UC, to avoid domestic abusers hoarding the cash.

She said other reforms have already been brought in, but added: "I think it’s not going to be our intention to introduce split payments by default.”

Last year the Mirror reported just 15 couples had opted for split payments. But Ms Coffey said: "I think it’s best if we allow the families and households to decide that.”

Elsewhere in the hearing, the DWP also confirmed 20,000 severely disabled people lost out when they moved to Universal Credit before January this year.

It was previously thought just over 13,000 people were affected.

Giving an update to MPs, officials said 20,000 Severe Disability Premium claimants had been affected and will now receive a back payment.

Some 14,000 have already received back payments averaging £2,280 each, with 6,000 still to go.