‘Without the cap hanging over me, I finally feel less weighed down by constant financial worry and more able to make choices that reflect my children’s needs’
by Charlotte Morris
University of Glasgow experts and parents in poverty today welcomed the removal of the two-child limit, and hope for more action in the forthcoming UK Child Poverty Strategy.
Professor Ruth Patrick, left, who heads Changing Realities, a group of 200 parents and carers across the UK who are on a low income, says: “Parents on a low-income from all four nations of the UK have been documenting everyday life since 2020 and pushing for change.
“Today, the UK government have taken decisive and positive action, by getting rid of the two-child limit, a callous policy that should have no place in a compassionate country. Its departure should be welcomed by all of us, and I hope it signals a wider shift in recognising the positive role social security can and should play in both reducing and preventing poverty.
“But the two-child limit’s removal should be only the start. We need to see much more action to support families facing poverty, and we need conviction and ambition from this Labour Government, especially if they are to meet Keir Starmer’s ambitious pledge to actually eradicate child poverty.
“I am incredibly fortunate to work with parents and carers who take part in Changing Realities. They have been waiting anxiously to see if the government will deliver on their promise to make a dent in support with cost of living and for the long-awaited Child Poverty Strategy to be published. This strategy needs to set out a roadmap for driving down historically high rates of child poverty.”
Recent research by Prof Patrick and the London School of Economics (LSE) showed that the UK government’s reliance on employment growth to tackle child poverty will fail to deliver the reductions needed, unless backed by the removal of the controversial two-child limit and the benefit cap.
Parents from the Changing Realities group have been meeting with senior politicians, including the Child Poverty Taskforce’s Co-Chair Bridget Phillipson, right, former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall, Scotland’s First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, sharing their own experiences and proposals to lobby the Government for further change.
Parents who take part in Changing Realities, and who have been affected by the two-child limit, are reacting with relief to the two-child limit, whilst hoping for more change to come.
Kim, a disabled mother of four said: “The removal of the two-child limit brings my family a deep sense of relief. Without the cap hanging over me, I finally feel less weighed down by constant financial worry and more able to make choices that genuinely reflect what each of my boys’ need.
“It means that all of my sons can receive the support they deserve, easing so much of the day-to-day stress I’ve been carrying. Most importantly, it gives me the chance to focus more on their happiness, their opportunities, and their future. It means families like mine might truly be able to thrive.”
Ashley, a mother of three, who – until now – has received no means-tested social security support for her third child, said: “The lifting of the two-child limit will help to relieve the situation of so many families like mine. Winter is here and I’m having to budget on heating – there is nothing left over for unexpected issues or costs, which is a real struggle, particularly for a single parent. We have to think twice about luxuries – being able to afford basics is enough, let alone splashing out.
“The cost of living has gone up and it has been so difficult for so long. The lifting of the two-child limit should help to go some way towards having a decent standard of living.”
Artwork by Jane Heaney