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.’
