A group of North East child poverty campaigners have joined forces to send a hard-hitting visual message on the urgency of scrapping the ‘two-child limit’, in the run up to next week’s Autumn Budget and long-awaited publication of a national child poverty plan.
In July 2024, the government pledged to create an ‘ambitious’ new child poverty strategy. It is expected this will be published around the same time as the Autumn Budget, due to take place on 26th November.
Bold national action on this issue is increasingly urgent, with a record 4.5 million UK children –
including around 170,000 across the North East region – growing up below the poverty line.
Recent Resolution Foundation research finds that this number could grow to a staggering 4.8 million by the end of this parliament, without social security-based action to boost family incomes, including full abolition of a policy known as the two-child limit.
Since its introduction in April 2017, the two-child limit has meant that almost all families having a third or subsequent child – both in and out of work – are no longer entitled to receive support for those children through Universal Credit.
Effect of two-child limit
It is estimated by the national charity Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) that, for every day the two-child limit remains in place, a further 109 children are pulled into poverty across the country.
Meeting outside Sunderland-based baby bank Love, Amelia, the group of campaigners have been pictured alongside a washing line with 109 baby grows – to powerfully symbolise the 109 additional children pulled into poverty each day, as a result of the two-child limit policy.
Beth Farhat, Chair of the North East Child Poverty Commission, said: ‘These shocking images really do paint a thousand words – and powerfully illustrate why there can be no more ifs and buts about scrapping the two-child limit, in full and without delay.’
Steph Capewell, CEO of the baby bank Love, Amelia added: ‘Every single day, we support families across the North East affected by the two-child limit and facing immense hardship as a result. This cruel policy has to go, and it has to go now.’
Emilie de Bruijn, Chair of Hartlepool Baby Bank and Senior Community Lead for the Baby Bank Alliance, said: ‘All children should have the chance to thrive and achieve their potential, but we know this policy is one the single biggest barriers to opportunity for children growing up here in the North East. It must be scrapped.’
Leigh Elliott, CEO of Children North East, said: ‘No credible plan to tackle child poverty would leave any version of the two-child limit in place. All the evidence shows it’s simply not possible to turn the tide on this issue without ending this policy once and for all.’
And Debs Smith, Founder of Barney’s Baby Bank in Middlesbrough, added: ‘If any doubt remains about why the two-child limit should be scrapped, these images must surely act as a wake-up call for those with the power to act. We see the appalling impact of this policy on a daily basis, and it is well beyond time for it to be lifted.’
North East Child Poverty Commission (NECPC) analysis of government data shows that the two-child limit now affects around 70,000 children in low income families across the North East region; a figure that will continue to rise as more babies are born, and until – under current plans – the policy has been fully rolled out in another ten years’ time (2035).
The hard-hitting images follow a regional letter co-ordinated by NECPC – and backed by a huge coalition of well over 100 cross-sector organisations working throughout the North East – urging the Chancellor to end the two-child limit at the Autumn Budget.
The latest version of this regional letter and full list of signatories is available here.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO OUR CROWDFUNDER
HELP US BECOME STRONGER SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DELIVER POWERFUL CITIZEN JOURNALISM!
