Sarah Champion MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities commenting on the government announcement that women must prove their rape to a third party before receiving child tax credits:

“The government are yet again demonstrating their profound lack of understanding of the nature of sexual abuse and coercive relationships and are designing policy in a way that is actively harmful to women.

“The fact that the Government have chosen Donald Trump’s inauguration to quietly sneak out a publication of controversial new rules that demand women ‘prove’ their rape to a third party before receiving child benefit is underhanded and extremely disappointing.

“Labour reiterates our long-standing calls for the government to conduct a full gender impact assessment of their policies without further delay. The government must take this harmful policy back to the drawing board before any women are forced to identify a child as a ‘product’ of rape.”