the two child limit

Since its implementation on 6th April, 2017, two child limit has pushed hundreds of thousands of children into poverty. On November 26th, in her Autumn Budget speech, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the policy would be scrapped in full, with the change taking effect from 6th April, 2026. The Budget also contained details that the amount of Universal Credit (UC) childcare support that families with three or more children can access will also increase.

impact of removing the two child limit

Scrapping the two child benefit limit will lift 350,000 children out of poverty immediately. Almost 190,000 of whom live in single parent families. By the end of the Parliament, half a million children will be lifted out of poverty. That’s over quarter of a million children in single parent families benefitting from this change.

For years, children - especially those in single parent families - have been overlooked. This announcement signals a shift in government thinking and places children's wellbeing where it belongs: at the heart of UK policy making. The impact of this cannot be overstated, it will literally change the lives of hundreds of thousands of children.

Increasing the childcare support that parents can access through UC will enable families to increase their earnings and support families to build their careers alongside raising their children.

what single parent families are saying about the change

“I cried when I heard the news. Every month I had to basically stop spending for the last week. This will be a lifeline to me and so many others.” - single mother of three.

“Words can’t express my relief! Soon I can pay off my year 6 son’s residential trip, get winter gear for all three kids, rebuild an emergency fund... so many things. But the best part will be spending weekends just relaxing and playing with them instead of budgeting and worrying.” - single mother of three.

“It’s good because it means even if you have more than 2 children all your children benefit equally.” Eldest child of three, single parent family.

how we supported this change

This kind of change doesn't come around often, and it is the result of tireless work from campaigners, parents, charities and communities who refused to stop pushing for a fairer system. At Single Parent Rights we have campaigned relentlessly on this, including:

  • Mobilising supporters to contact their MPs and the Chancellor, ensuring decision-makers heard directly from single parent families

  • Amplifying the petition to end child poverty, launched by one of our campaigners

  • Publishing compelling opinion pieces to challenge the policy and shape the public conversation

  • Supporting single parents to share their lived experiences by writing their own opinion pieces about the impact of the policy

  • Facilitating media interviews with single parent families impacted by the policy to expose its consequences

  • Running public-facing campaigns that highlighted how the cap disproportionately harms single parent families

  • Conducting detailed analysis of the two child benefit limit data from a single parent perspective to strengthen the evidence base

  • Joining sector-wide letters and coordinated actions calling for the policy to be scrapped

  • Writing directly to the Chancellor and MPs, pressing for urgent reform

  • Engaging with MPs at key events, making sure single parent issues could not be ignored

  • Participating in public stunts to maintain public attention

  • Running a workshop with single parents as part of the Child Poverty Strategy consultation process

  • And much more, all driven by our commitment to achieving a fairer system for single parent families.

This policy change shows what can be achieved through lived experience campaigns and collaboration by organisations and individuals to work towards a joint goal.

media articles we were involved in

Opinion pieces we supported/ wrote

I’m a working mum – but the two-child limit hits my family too

UK must end cruel war on single mums by scrapping benefit caps

Benefit cap puts single mothers like me at risk of homelessness

As a single mum, the two-child benefit cap makes me feel judged

DWP figures show two in five single parents are living in poverty

There's no quick fix for single parent poverty – but there's a clear first step

News pieces we supported

Child poverty soars in Britain as working families struggle to keep up - The Washington Post

This is the harsh reality of the two-child benefit cap for families

'I'd never have left my abusive husband if I'd known about the two-child benefit cap' - The Mirror

‘Why are my youngest children worth less?’: How two-child benefit cap hits families

No mention of two-child benefit limit in Labour child poverty strategy

(177) Government considering above inflation public sector pay rises - YouTube

I'm a single mum of three - Labour keeping the two-child benefit cap is cruel

have you benefitted from this change?

If you will benefit from this change, let us know what it means. Perhaps you were struggling to make ends meet, or does it mean you can now consider expanding your family? We’d love to hear from you. Drop us a message here. Or why not write to your MP to let them know what it means to you and your family?

We aren’t finished yet

While it’s great news that the two child limit has gone. Single parent families are still being punished due to the benefit cap, especially those with very young children where work barriers are highest. We will continue to lobby for this to be removed too.

We will also continue campaigning on parental leave, Universal Credit, childcare and of course - adding single parents to the Equality Act. Legal change is essential to ensure single parents are designed into family policy from the start and policies which disadvantage children due to the number of parents they have are a thing of the past.

get involved

You can get involved in our other campaigns here. Or write to your MP here.