Following reports that Iain Duncan Smith has ordered civil servants to draw up plans to cut child benefit, Labours Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Rachel Reeves said:

“For months Tory ministers have refused to rule out cutting child benefit and tax credits to fill the £12billion black hole in the welfare budget. And today we’ve learnt that Iain Duncan Smith has ordered civil servants to draw up plans to cut child benefit which would mean millions of working families losing out.

‘David Cameron and George Osborne must come clean with the public about their plans to cut child benefit and child tax credits.”