Almost 1.6 million children were living in households impacted by the two-child benefit limit in the year to April.
Most of those children (1.3 million) were living in a Universal Credit household, while 270,000 were in a Child Tax Credit household. The two-child benefit limit prevents parents from claiming child tax credit or universal credit for more than two children, and was introduced by the Conservative Government in 2017.
It affected a record high of 450,000 households across the UK in the year to April 2024. The majority of those households (270,000) were in work, with 180,000 being out of work households. Almost two thirds (61%) of households in receipt of Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit were affected by the policy.
You can see the number and proportion of households impacted by the two-child cap in your area by using our interactive map below.
Vale of White Horse has the highest proportion of impacted households in the country. A total of 990 households in the area claim either Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit. Some 690 of those (69%) are impacted by the cap.
Hackney, Salford and Stirling have the joint next-highest ratios at 67% each. A further 11 local authorities have 66% of households impacted – Lincoln, Epping Forest, Fenland, Tower Hamlets, Maidstone, Medway, Swale, Tonbridge and Malling, Tewkesbury, East Ayrshire, and Torfaen.
It comes as Keir Starmer faces the prospect of his first Commons rebellion over the issue – with left-wing MPs threatening an attempt to force a vote on scrapping the policy.
Campaigners have branded it “cruel” and said it needs to be abolished. But the new PM resisted calls to scrap the Tory austerity-era measure during the General Election campaign, saying he would not make “unfunded” spending commitments.
The party’s manifesto promised an “ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty” but made no mention of the controversial policy – one of the most severe cuts to welfare under the Tories. Charity Save The Children said it is an “outrage” that so many youngsters are affected and called for immediate action.
Joseph Howes, Chair of the End Child Poverty Coalition and CEO of Buttle UK said: “The two-child limit just has to go. If the aim is to reduce child poverty, there is no way for the new
Areas most impacted by the cap
- Vale of White Horse: 69%
- Hackney: 67%
- Salford: 67%
- Stirling :67%
- Lincoln: 66%
- Epping Forest: 66%
- Fenland: 66%
- Tower Hamlets: 66%
- Maidstone: 66%
- Medway: 66%
- Swale: 66%
- Tonbridge and Malling: 66%
- Tewkesbury: 66%
- East Ayrshire: 66%
- Torfaen: 66%
- Castle Point: 65%
- Harlow: 65%
- Thurrock: 65%
- Burnley: 65%
- Halton: 65%
- Gravesham: 65%
- Rushmoor: 65%
- West Berkshire: 65%
Areas least impacted by the cap
- Derbyshire Dales: 56.%
- Rushcliffe: 56.%
- Adur: 56.%
- Woking: 56.%
- Teignbridge: 56.%
- Na h-Eileanan Siar: 56.%
- Rutland: 55.%
- South Hams: 55.%
- Torridge: 55.%
- Shetland Islands: 55.%
- Mid Devon: 54%
- Oadby and Wigston: 52%
- East Dunbartonshire: 52%
- Belfast: 51%
- Mid and East Antrim: 48%
- Antrim and Newtownabbey: 43%
- Lisburn and Castlereagh: 43%
- Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon: 42%
- Derry City and Strabane: 42%
- Mid Ulster: 42%
- Newry, Mourne and Down: 42%
- Ards and North Down: 41%
- Causeway Coast and Glens: 39%
- Fermanagh and Omagh: 38%
- Foreign/Unknown Local Authority: 36%