Delivering in Government: your weekly round up of good news Labour stories

It was a busy week for the Labour government.

While the Middle East conflict entered its third week, departments across Whitehall were getting on with the job of fixing things closer to home.

Here are the seven most exciting breakthroughs and announcements this week that you can use, whether you’re on the doorstep, sparring on social media, or debating in the pub.

1. Scrapping the two-child benefit cap

Labour has signed into law the end of the two-child benefit cap, putting 450,000 children on a pathway out of poverty.

Since its introduction in 2017, it has been the biggest single driver of child poverty in the UK. Around 60% of affected families had a parent in work.

Up to 1.5 million children across Britain could benefit from the change. Alongside other measures, it’s expected to lead to the largest reduction in child poverty since comparable records began in the 1990s.

2. 200,000 jobs and apprenticeships for young people

Labour is investing £1 billion in the biggest transformation of apprenticeships in a decade.

The package includes:

• A £3,000 grant for every business that hires an 18-24 year old who’s been on Universal Credit for six months.
• A £2,000 incentive for SMEs taking on apprentices aged 16-24.
• An expansion of the Jobs Guarantee to cover all 18-24 year olds.

New foundation apprenticeships will launch in hospitality and retail from April, on top of those already running in engineering, manufacturing, and digital.

Almost 1 million young people are currently not in education, employment or training, a rise of 248,000 between 2021 and 2024. Apprenticeship starts among young people are down 40% over the same period.

3. Halving childcare costs

Labour has cut the cost of a childcare place by 52%.

Working parents are saving an average of £8,000 a year per child, reversing more than two decades of rising costs in just two years. A part-time place for a child under two is now theoretically free.

Nearly a third of parents have been able to increase their working hours as a result. Further savings are coming: free breakfast clubs for 300,000 children from April, and free school meals for 500,000 more children on Universal Credit from September.

4. Fining employers for paying below minimum wage

Labour has named and penalised 389 employers for illegally underpaying around 60,000 workers.

The employers include well-known brands such as Bupa, Costa, and Norwich City Football Club. The government has recovered more than £7.3 million in unpaid wages, and the firms face £12.6 million in penalties on top.

From 7 April, enforcement passes to the new Fair Work Agency, which will bring workers’ rights enforcement under one roof for the first time and extend its reach to holiday and sick pay.

5. £50 million for families struggling with heating oil costs

Labour is supporting low-income rural households with the rising cost of heating oil.

The price of kerosene has doubled relative to crude oil since the Middle East conflict began, and unlike gas and electricity customers, heating oil users have no price cap. Many of those affected face a large upfront lump sum just to top up their tanks.

Alongside the cash, the government is introducing consumer protections for the heating oil market for the first time, including price transparency rules and enhanced safeguards for vulnerable customers.

6. Cutting waiting times in the family courts

Labour is rolling out Child Focused Courts across England and Wales.

This follows a pilot that halved family court backlogs and resolved cases seven and a half months faster. The old system left children in limbo during lengthy proceedings, bearing the brunt of disputes that dragged on for years.

The new model identifies risks to children’s welfare more quickly and improves coordination between the family court, local authorities and police, particularly in cases involving domestic abuse. This should reduce the number of cases that return to court, sparing children and families from repeated trauma.

7. £1.4 billion to protect homes and businesses from flooding

Labour is investing £1.4 billion in flood defences this year, part of the largest flood defence investment in English history.

More than 600 projects will be funded, from upgraded flood barriers and embankments to natural flood management schemes. A further £260 million will repair defences damaged by recent storms.

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