A coalition of 101 organisations, including Christians, has called on the federal government to abolish the two-child limit on advantages in full, warning that “half-measures” will fail to lift families out of poverty.
The joint letter was issued as the federal government is ready to achieve a final verdict on the longer term of the policy ahead of the Autumn Budget.
Introduced in 2017, the two-child limit restricts universal and tax credit support to a family’s first two children.
Campaigners say it’s probably the most significant drivers of kid poverty within the UK, affecting an estimated 1.6 million children.
In their statement, the organisations urged the Chancellor to make use of the upcoming Budget to abolish the limit entirely, calling it a likelihood to “deliver a decisive shift in children’s opportunities, and in our country’s future potential.”
“Every day the two-child limit stays, in any form, it pushes children into poverty. Now just isn’t the time for half-measures,” the statement reads.
“Abolishing the policy in full will set thousands and thousands of kids’s lives on a path to a brighter future, and help to rebuild a stronger, fairer economy.”
According to evaluation by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), 109 children are pushed into poverty on daily basis due to the policy.
The charity says eliminating the limit could immediately relieve 400,000 children of poverty and reduce hardship for an additional 700,000.
CPAG chief executive Alison Garnham said: “Government wants to cut back child poverty but until the two-child limit is abolished in full its efforts might be hamstrung. This is a one-time likelihood to make the massive difference needed for youngsters. The policy have to be scrapped within the Budget before more children have their life possibilities stunted.”
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has also cautioned against the growing link between poverty and poor kid’s health.
Its president, Professor Steve Turner, warned that financial pressures are stopping children from accessing healthcare and resulting in an increase in poverty-related illnesses.
“If the federal government is serious about raising the healthiest generation of kids ever, we must see the top of the two-child limit,” he stated.
Other organisations signing the letter include Church Action on Poverty, the British Medical Association, Save the Children UK, Citizens Advice, and the National Association of Headteachers.
The letter also highlighted the ripple effects of kid poverty on education, housing and native economies.
Representing the Chartered Institute of Housing, Rachael Williamson said removing the cap would help families struggling to afford homes and reduce long-term social costs.
“A protected, secure and reasonably priced house is the inspiration every child must thrive,” she said.
“Abolishing the two-child limit would make an actual difference to families struggling … We support this call for change and urge the federal government to take this chance to speculate in a fairer future for each child.”
The general secretary of the National Association of Headteachers, Paul Whiteman, said the results of the policy were visible in classrooms across the country.
“So lots of the challenges holding children back at college have their roots in poverty and drawback,” he said.
“Addressing child poverty needs to be a fundamental a part of that. It is what is going to make the largest difference to a baby’s life possibilities.”
The coalition’s letter frames the upcoming Budget as a critical opportunity for the federal government to show the tide on child poverty, which has reached record highs.
They argue that reversing the two-child limit just isn’t only morally right but in addition economically sound, boosting family incomes and easing pressure on “schools, hospitals and other public services.”
“Now is the moment for the Prime Minister and Chancellor to listen to the voices of the UK’s children and take this vital opportunity to do the best thing,” the statement concludes.
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