Child at Unhappy Birthday Card stunt. A child from a family impacted holds a handmade sign. 5th April 2024. Credit: Save the Children.
Lifting children out of poverty by scrapping the cruel two-child limit to benefit payments.
The Campaign
The campaign called on the UK government to scrap the two-child limit to Universal Credit. From 6th April 2017, low-income families no longer received the child element to benefit payments for a third or subsequent child, now worth just over £4,000 per child per year. 1.6 million children in the UK were affected by the two-child limit, or 1 in 9 children in the UK. Thanks to years of sustained sector-wide campaigning on the issue, led by the End Child Poverty Coalition, the Chancellor announced in the Autumn Budget 2025 that the policy would finally be scrapped from 6th April 2026.
The Coalition is a network of 140 organisations and 20 Youth Ambassadors who maintain the poverty is a political choice. The Coalition came together at key moments, releasing research, organising stunts etc., whilst also encouraging members to make scrapping the two-child limit a key ask for their campaigning work. Decision makers heard from local, regional and national Coalition members about the need to scrap this cruel policy. As a result, this became a key General Election issue.
Stunt held before the 2025 Government Budget, hanging 109 babygrows outside parliament to represent the children pulled into poverty every day by the policy. 19/1/25. Credit: End Child Poverty.
Being nominated for this award is a true recognition of how coming together to campaign in coalition can achieve great things. That sometimes issues need voices from smaller, regional and national organisations, all calling for the same thing, in order to bring about change. It is also a recognition of the campaigners who themselves were impacted by this policy, who bravely spoke out about the need for change.”
Rachel Walters
Coalition Manager, End Child Poverty Coalition
The Change
The biggest difference the campaign has made has been to effect actual policy change – as the Chancellor announced in the Autumn Budget 2025 that the two-child limit would be scrapped from 6th April 2026. This will lift 450,000 children out of poverty by the end of this parliament. “The impact on these children and their families will be huge,” said Rachel. “Children can dream a little bigger, lives not limited by poverty. Parents can afford to buy children winter coats, or new school shoes. Perhaps put the heating on when it’s cold, or no longer need to use a food bank.”
The campaign has also succeeded in increasing awareness of the policy, particularly by working alongside parents and children with lived experience and using storytelling and publicity tactics. Parent campaigners from Save the Children, Young Campaigners from Action for Children, and Youth Ambassadors for the End Child Poverty Coalition have campaigned every step of the way, bravely sharing their story to explain the impact this policy has on real people, real families, and real children.
The Future
Whilst the Coalition is delighted that scrapping the limit will lift 450,000 children out of poverty by the end of this parliamentary term, the government’s own recent figures show that 4 million children are living in poverty across the UK. The Coalition will work to ensure that the government’s ‘Tackling Child Poverty’ strategy is genuinely a living document, with plans and actions occurring which continue to lift all children out of poverty. After all, their Coalition name is End Child Poverty.
Who else was involved?
Action for Children, Save the Children, and the End Child Poverty Coalition of 140+ organisations (list here.)
