Still Waiting: Ending the two-child limit

Our Chief Executive recently set out the case for ending the two-child limit From the CEO: Why we must end the cruel two-child limit. That’s why, along with over 100 organisations in the North East, we signed a letter, coordinated by the North East Child Poverty Commission, calling for the end of this cruel policy – Every child deserves an equal chance in life.

Like all organisations campaigning for ending this policy we had hoped that the Prime Minister would have announced its removal at last week’s Labour Party conference, especially given both the candidates for the Deputy Leadership have signalled their strong support for this position and that child poverty was given a prominent mention.

Now it seems like we must wait for the budget on 26th November or the publication of the national child poverty strategy.

We want to restate our position that the two-child limit must end, and that Government must set a timetable for this to be implemented as soon as possible. It is the single biggest action that any Government could take to lift children out of poverty and so must be at the heart of the budget and the national strategy for a Government serious about eliminating child poverty.

Any broad commitment to scrap the limit is of little comfort to those families struggling right now, who will be worrying about going into the winter with energy costs rising.

Similarly, any compromise to limit changes such as a three-child limit, would clearly be better for some families but ignore the considerable evidence of the impact scrapping the limit would make, it would be the worst kind of politics to compromise on.

The limit must go, in full, and as soon as possible.

Anything else continues to let our children down.