Thousands of families with eight or more children are receiving an additional £21,883 per year from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) after the government abolished the two-child benefit cap earlier this year.
DWP Universal Credit statistics reveal that approximately 2,200 households with eight or more children now benefit from this increased support, bringing their total annual assistance to around £29,178.
These families are part of a broader group of 17,290 households with six or more children who have seen their annual benefits rise by at least £14,589. When combined with payments for their first two children, this results in an average uplift of £21,883 per year.
READ MORE: DWP urged to halt PIP payments for low-level mental health cases amid rising costs
Helen Whately, the Conservative Shadow Secretary for Work and Pensions, criticised the change, stating: “Hard-working parents don’t get a pay rise from their employer when they have another child, but Labour has done just that for people on benefits.”
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has pledged to reinstate the two-child benefit cap to help fund defence spending, commenting: “We believe those on benefits should have to make the same choices about having children as those who aren’t.”
The Labour government, which removed the cap citing its role since 2017 as the leading cause of child poverty, pointed to the alarming statistics that motivated the change: 2.6 million UK children face food insecurity, over 172,000 have no permanent home, and infant mortality rates in the poorest areas are twice the national average.
At the time of the policy’s removal, DWP Minister Pat McFadden described the move as “an historic day, marking a turning point for 450,000 children across Britain.” He emphasised the broader impact beyond finances, noting that children growing up in poverty are more likely to leave school without qualifications and face unemployment or disengagement from education as young adults.
The DWP highlighted that nearly 60% of families benefiting from the removal of the two-child limit have at least one working parent. The department stated that this policy change provides vital financial relief, giving hard-working families much-needed breathing room and lifting 450,000 children out of poverty.