Families behind the two-child limit to benefits – photo essay

Leanne’s* two sons - Nathan* and Logan* , age 11 and eight, and her daughter, Faith*, six, at their grandma’s home in Tameside. Photograph: Dan Dennison

At the other end of the playing fields, Matthew’s friends are at a Saturday morning football practice, but he can’t go. “My son really misses football,” his mum, Carol​*, says. “He keeps asking when can I go back?’ I don’t think he quite gets the money situation.”

Carol’s eldest son Matthew.

Alongside football, she has had to pull her four children out of cadets, dancing, and say no to other requests like gymnastics and horse riding because of the costs.

I could work more hours, but when would I see them and I need to make sure there’s a decent meal on the table

Carol

“The middle two children do notice how stressful things can be. My son will cry and he’ll say, ‘mum, why are you so upset?’ And I’ll just say it’s one of those things, it’s hard.” Carol is a part-time teaching assistant and exam invigilator living in Wiltshire, and is one of 422,000 families affected by the two-child limit to benefits. A trip to the park on their new-build estate is a chance to blow off some steam during a morning of playing games at home and the usual screen time.

Carol’s youngest daughter, Cara, aged four (in red), doesn’t receive the child element of universal credit, while her older sister and two brothers do. Carol’s eldest daughter, Lucy, eight, (blue sweatshirt) does get the payment and is eligible for £287.92 a month.

Mum Carol and her children are in one of 422,000 households affected by the two-child limit policy.

The two-child limit legislation means that a family with a third or subsequent child born from 6 April 2017 claiming universal credit or child tax credit no longer receives additional amounts for these children. Currently, one in 10 children are affected by it and it is considered a key driver of poverty in the UK. We spent six months with families across the country to build a picture of the impact of this rule on day-to-day family life. Parents talked frequently of fairness and were at pains to explain how they must treat all children the same, even if the government doesn’t.

“You can’t give money to one and not the other and it’s not their fault they were born after the government brought a rule in.” Carol’s children are 16, 11, eight and four and has supported her family on her own on the wage she brings in, and on universal credit.

Matthew and Lucy stop for drinks and snacks at the park.

She works three days a week, and gets £909 a month in the child element of universal credit for three children - her eldest was born pre-2016 so has always been eligible for payments. In May, her income was £2,753 in total for her and the four children, and her rent is £1,140. Earlier this month, she got married, which means universal credit payments will reduce when she starts living with her new partner.

“I could work more hours, but when would I see them and I need to make sure there’s a decent meal on the table,” she says.

Nathan, Faith and Logan at the sports pitch. Mum Leanne says the financial strain of three children wasn’t noticeable when her daughter was a baby but it’s got hard as they have all got older.

In Manchester, mother-of-three Leanne, receives £584.58 a month for her two eldest sons from universal credit, but not for her daughter, six. Altogether, she is living on £1,200 a month with shopping, gas and electric bills, council tax, water, TV licence coming out of that and travel costs to the local hospital to take one of her sons to various appointments.

“The rule came into force in the April of 2017 and I had my daughter in the October. I thought ‘how am I going to support her through two children’s money?’

“I think it was as she was getting older and going on to solid foods and we needed more money for shopping. I also had my second boy, who was only young then, so that was two kids in nappies at home,” shesays.

Leanne’s boys (and their friend) enjoy spending hours at the local playing fields playing football.

Faith, drawing at home. The two-child limit rule came into force six months before Leanne’s daughter was born in 2017. Nathan, Leanne’s eldest son looks out at across their local sports pitch to see who has the ball.

Her eldest boys, 11 and eight, also love football and go and play at the local park, and at the local football club as much as they can. She also takes them to all the free activities that are put on locally, and saves money on food where she can.

“More parents are struggling because of this rule and more parents are behind on rent, housing. People can’t afford shopping. I do struggle.

“I never suffered from any anxiety until I had my youngest daughter.”

The UK government’s universal credit payments are now set at £333.33 for a first child if they were born before 6 April 2017, and £287.92 if they were born after that date. The payment for a second child is also £287.92.

Single parent Joanna, 38.

Single parent Joanna, 38, in London, earns £43k a year in London in a full time job and receives the child element of universal credit for her eldest son and daughter. Her new baby, nine months, doesn’t get anything.

Joanna queues to get an ice cream for Mia and Jake whilst baby Lucas sleeps.

Bouncing him up and down on her lap, the newest arrival in the family is so happy, he’s been nicked named “happy McMuffin” by his big brother.

“Ending the two-child limit wouldn’t bring my kids luxury but it would give me the ability to be a normal working mum and nip to the shop for food, without having to spend hours trying to get the best deal. Maybe I could even get a supermarket delivery to the house,” Joanna says.

Baby Lucas, or the happy McMuffin as his brother calls him.

Joanna’s middle child, Mia, poses for a photo on their balcony. Joanna’s eldest child, Jake, plays a magic trick in their flat in London. He loves performing and sharing what he learns with his siblings.

Her rent for a one-bedroom flat is £2,000 a month, and that had to be paid six months in advance to secure the tenancy over dual income couples who were ompeting for the same property. The rest of her income comes from universal credit.

“I’ll never get to go on a holiday with my kids that isn’t to visit family. I’ll never be able to give each of my kids their own bedroom. I’ll never be able to have a car, I’ll never be able to own property. Getting rid of the two-child limit to benefits isn’t going to make these dreams come true but it might, for example, get my eldest some new shoes.”

This work was produced by Save the Children UK. The names of the subjects have been changed.