The two-child limit: understanding the data from the Department for Work and Pensions
Quick Links:
- the data on the number of children impacted by the two-child limit in each Westminster Constituency, alongside the Department for Work and Pensions data released in summer 2025
I am a single parent to three children. My youngest was born in May 2017 – so we were one of the first families to be hit by the two-child limit. This policy had a huge impact on our family. I had to put my 3-month-old son into childcare so that I could go and wash pots in order to pay for essentials. I often had to choose between paying for new clothes for my children or paying the gas and electricity bill. I had to take out loans to be able to afford food.
Today, I am still impacted by this policy psychologically. My children have even said that they don’t want kids of their own because they have seen me struggle.
Rosie, mother to three children, impacted by the two-child limit.
The Department for Work an Pensions published data on the number of children impacted by the two-child limit, in summer 2025. For the first time this data gave a detailed breakdown of family types impacted – at a constituency level. Comparing this data to our Child Poverty data provides a percentage figure for children living in poverty in each each constituency, and also living in a home impacted by the two child limit.
At a constituency level this data also shows:
- percentage of children impacted by the two child limit with at least one claimant working
- percentage of children impacted by the two child limit in a household in receipt of disability benefit
- percentage of children impacted by the two child limit and impacted by the benefit cap
- percentage of children impacted by the two child limit and in a single parent household
