Ellie Ames 06 June 2024

Child poverty ‘directly correlated’ with two-child benefit cap

Child poverty ‘directly correlated’ with two-child benefit cap image
Image: Andrew Angelov / Shutterstock.com

Child poverty is ‘directly and strongly’ correlated with the percentage of children affected by the two-child benefit cap within a constituency, analysis has found.

A study by Loughborough University for the End Child Poverty Coalition revealed that two-thirds (66%) of new constituencies for the General Election have at least a quarter of children living in poverty.

It also found that constiutency-level child poverty rates in 2022-23 were ‘extremely highly correlated’ with the proportion of children affected by the two-child limit within the area.

Researchers concluded that while it was not possible to directly evaluate the causal effect of the two-child limit on poverty, the strength of the association ‘clearly implied’ causation.

The End Child Poverty Coalition urged all political parties to commit to removing the two-child limit to benefit payments and the benefit cap in their manifestos.

Coalition chair Joseph Howes said: ‘The data is undeniable – too many children are in a cycle of deprivation that affects their health, education, and future prospects.

‘It is time to dismantle these barriers and the elections will provide a critical platform for committing to systemic changes to uplift families and give every child the opportunity to thrive.’

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