Government statistics released today reveal that there were 1,665,540 children living in households affected by the two-child limit on benefits policy in April 2025, an increase of 37,150.
Lynn Perry, chief executive of Barnardo’s, said:
“The two-child limit on benefit payments is now affecting nearly 1.7m children – an increase of nearly 40,000. Many of these are children going for days without a hot meal, sleeping in rooms covered in black mould or going to school in shoes that don’t fit.
“We welcome recent announcements from the government about the expansion of free school meals and the roll out of family hubs to every local authority in the country. But without immediate action, child poverty will simply continue to rise. Hundreds more children will be pulled into poverty with every week this continues.
“Ending the policy would lift half a million children out of poverty. The upcoming child poverty strategy is a huge opportunity for the government to change the futures of millions of children, so they have the chance to thrive. When the strategy does arrive, we need to see decisive action.”