Thousands of families set to be helped by action to end the plan.
A Government action to scrap the two-child limit will benefit more than 165,000 children across the South East, new analysis has revealed.
The figure came as new legislation that will remove the two-child limit was introduced to Parliament yesterday (8th January). It means that 45,260 families will be better off in the South East when the limit is scrapped from April 2026.
The majority of families hit by the two-child limit have at least one parent in work. Scrapping the limit will therefore primarily support households who are working but are on a low incomes and in need of additional support.
As a result of the combined measures in its Child Poverty Strategy, the Government is set to lift 550,000 children out of poverty across the country by 2030 – the biggest reduction in a single Parliament since records began.
Lifting the two-child limit comes alongside other policies to cut the cost of living for families, including extending free school meals to half a million more children, freezing rail fares for the first time in 30 years, rolling out free breakfast clubs in 2,000 more primary schools, and extending the provision of 30 hours of free childcare.
“This Labour Government came into office pledging to tackle child poverty and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Bridget Phillipson MP, Secretary of State for Education.
“I’m proud that Labour is scrapping the cruel two-child limit. It's a policy that has imposed hardship on the children of parents who go out to work to provide as much as they can for their families.”
Callum Anderson, MP for Buckingham and Bletchley, backed the decision.
“Reducing child poverty is in the DNA of the Labour Party,” he said. “I should know, I was one of the children pulled out of poverty because of the actions taken by the last Labour government. It is the right call to remove the two-child cap. It was pernicious and punished children for the situation they were born into.
“Tackling the cost of living and boosting life chances is what a Labour government does. I’m proud that 2,500 children from across Buckingham and Bletchley will benefit from these changes.”
