Exclusive: Ministers considering options to bring down child poverty without removing rule entirely
Parents of under-fives could be exempted from the government’s two-child benefit limit under a range of options UK ministers are considering as they try to bring down child poverty numbers without removing the rule altogether.
Ministers are trying to find ways to alleviate the impact of the two-child limit for universal credit or child tax credit, which was imposed by the Conservatives in 2017, without spending £3.6bn to remove it entirely, according to those briefed on the discussions.
Among the options is applying the limit only to those with children who are five and over, exempting parents of disabled children, exempting parents in work and increasing child benefit payments for parents of young children. A separate proposal to move to a three-child limit has also been discussed, but is understood not to be under serious consideration.
Read the full article on the Guardian website – www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/26/parents-under-fives-could-be-exempted-two-child-benefit-cap-uk
