Save the Children is calling for the immediate scrapping of the two-child limit as newly released figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that almost 40,000 more children are now living in families affected by the policy than there were last year.
The data confirms what families, and frontline organisations have long warned: the two-child limit is one of the biggest drivers of rising child poverty in the UK. Since its introduction in 2017, the policy has restricted access to certain benefits for families with a third or later-born child, regardless of their situation.
Reacting to today’s figures, Dan Paskins, executive director of policy, advocacy and campaigns at Save the Children UK, said:
“These figures are devastating and shameful in equal measure. Almost 40,000 more children are now being punished just for having siblings.
Behind every number is a child missing out on essentials like food, clothing and a decent home, through no fault of their own. No child should be treated as less deserving simply because of when they were born. There is no way to reduce child poverty in this parliament without scrapping the two-child limit. The government must do the right thing and abolish the two-child limit, or risk being the first Labour Government to oversee a significant rise in child poverty.”
ENDS
For further information and interview requests please contact Kate Proctor [email protected] / [email protected]
On Tuesday the 8th of July Save the Children sent a stark reminder to the Prime Minister about child poverty rates with a powerful projection on parliament & at Kings Cross Station - content can be found here: https://www.contenthubsavethechildren.org/Share/m8nwumt745ymbfw10i4dn68774fp1116
Notes to editors
- Almost 1.7 million children (1,665,540) are impacted by the two-child limit, in 469,780 households. This is an increase of 13,520 (3%) in the total number of households affected on either Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit since April 2024.
- This is an increase of almost 40,000 children (37,150).
Demographic breakdown:
- Just over half (54%) of households affected by the policy are single households and just under half (46%) are couple households.
- Most households affected by the policy (63%) had three children, 25% had four children, 8% had five children and 4% of households had six or more children.
- Over half (59%) of households affected by the policy are in work.
- 38,200 (8%) of households affected by the two child limit policy are also affected by the benefit cap. There are a total of 141,290 children living in those households.
- The largest ethnic group was White, where 70% had at least one claimant in the White ethnic group. The second largest ethnic group was Asian, where 15% had at least one claimant in the Asian ethnic group.
- 67,580 (14%) of households affected by the two child limit policy had at least one claimant that qualifies for UC health element or LCWRA. There are a total of 241,780 children living in those households.
- 129,630 (28%) of households affected by the two child limit policy had at least one child that is disabled and qualifies for the disabled child element. There are a total of 479,460 children living in those households.