Today, five years ago, the two child limit was added to our social insurance system. A child born into a household with at least two children has been denied the child allowances in universal and tax credit. Very few exceptions have been made. The policy continues to have devastating effects on the estimated 400,000 affected families as well as the 1.4 million children.
Respondents to a survey over the past year have described being without food, heating, and toilet paper. They also report having to cancel their children’s sports and extra-curricular activities like school trips. It’s clear from the 2,500-plus survey responses so far – the largest survey of its kind ever conducted – that parents do their best to shield their children but the impact is often unavoidable. Not being able to provide for their children and seeing the effect this has on their wellbeing takes a heavy toll on parent’s mental health too.
According to the government, parents receiving social security benefits should have the same financial considerations as those who support their families solely by working. But what about families who had a third child during prosperous times only to hit unforeseen financial difficulty – job loss, bereavement or another of life’s hurdles? And what about children who are happy ‘accidents’, unplanned yet loved all the same? In reality, no one can fully guarantee their financial security for the first 18 years of their child’s life. The majority of families subject to the two-child limit are in work, and many non-working parents aren’t expected to because they have young children to look after.
The government appears to have no answers for these inconsistencies in its logic – and children in larger families are suffering the consequences.
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With living costs now rising at the fastest rate in over 30 years and energy bills soaring, we can only expect these families’ circumstances to deteriorate further. Many people have no choice but to cut back on their energy consumption. Every pound spent on energy can also mean a pound less for other essentials.
Parents are all too aware of the consequences of these impossible decisions for their child’s wellbeing today and their development for the future. As one survey respondent put it: “I feel like [I] fail my children. I want them to have all of the opportunities possible to become successful in their lives but it feels that in order to do this you need money.”
Six months ago, the chancellor said: “I passionately believe that we have a duty to give young families and their children the best possible start in life”. This duty cannot be fulfilled if there are only two children. To allow all children to flourish, the policy must be lifted.
