The upcoming month will see the number of children from working families impacted by the two-child limit reaching one million, raising concerns among campaigners about the immense pressure on parents. According to the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) analysis of Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) data, 59% of affected families are employed, while a significant portion of those not affected are exempt due to having young children or health issues.
For instance, a lone parent with three children working full-time on minimum wage falls below the poverty line by £4,500 annually under the two-child limit policy. Removing this policy would reduce their shortfall to £1,000 per year. Similarly, a couple with three children, where one parent works full-time and the other part-time on minimum wage, is currently £2,000 below the poverty line due to the two-child limit. Without this restriction, they would be £1,500 above the poverty line.
Calls to eliminate the two-child limit are mounting, with pressure on the government to include it in the upcoming child poverty strategy. Experts suggest that abolishing this policy could lift 350,000 children out of poverty and alleviate the depth of poverty for many others, at an estimated cost of £2 billion. CPAG Chief Executive Alison Garnham emphasized the financial strain on families due to this policy, urging the government to prioritize its removal to prevent an increase in child poverty levels.
The government assured its commitment to addressing child poverty through the Child Poverty Taskforce’s upcoming strategy, emphasizing investments in children’s development, extending free school meals, and providing support for underprivileged families during holidays to combat the root causes of poverty.
