School leaders, governors and teachers call on Minister to scrap two-child benefit limit

As schools look to a new academic year, school leaders, governors, teaching unions, Child Poverty Action Group and others working in schools have written to Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson MP calling for the two-child benefit limit to be scrapped in the 30th October Budget.

In an open letter to the Minister, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), National Education Union (NEU), National Governance Association (NGA), Child Poverty Action Group, The Centre for Education and Youth, Children North East and The Sutton Trust say: 

Our classrooms are filled with children who are hungry, tired, and lacking the resources and equipment they need to succeed in their education.  They’re also anxious and distracted by money worries at home as pressures on household budgets endure. For too long now we have seen the ways in which child poverty is having a detrimental effect on the wellbeing, attainment and attendance of children and young people, and it is becoming ever more impossible for schools to mitigate this.

We ... share the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. However, we fear that this mission will be undermined with child poverty levels rising year on year while the two-child limit remains in place. We are writing to share our concerns and to ask you to commit to abolishing this poverty-producing policy in the forthcoming autumn Budget. 

The letter says removing the policy would lift 300,000 children from poverty and mean 700,000 would be in less deep poverty: 

“This single policy change would transform the life chances of the almost 1.6 million children affected by the policy across the UK, helping to tackle educational disparities and in turn support schools.  

“Without action, more than 60 per cent of children in families with three or more children will be affected by the policy by the time it is fully rolled out and our school system will be stretched beyond repair.”

 

Notes to editors: 

Child Poverty Action Group press office:  07816 909302 / [email protected]

The two-child limit denies child allowances in universal credit and tax credits worth up to £3,455 per year to third or subsequent children born after April 2017. UK child poverty is at record level with nine children in an average class of 30 living under the poverty line.  

The full letter is below: 

Dear Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP, Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities

Breaking down barriers to opportunity must start with abolishing the two-child limit

As a group of school leaders, teachers and those working in education across England, we have so far been encouraged to see the government’s commitment to a child poverty strategy, the announcement of a Child Poverty Taskforce and, as Secretary of State, your clear leadership and ambition on this issue. We also share the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. However, we fear that this mission will be undermined with child poverty levels rising year on year while the two-child limit remains in place. We are writing to share our concerns and to ask you to commit to abolishing this poverty-producing policy in the forthcoming autumn Budget. 

The two-child limit is the biggest driver of rising child poverty in the UK today and scrapping it is the most cost-effective way to stop the number of children in poverty increasing. Removing it would lift 300,000 children out of poverty overnight and mean 700,000 children are in less deep poverty.1 This single policy change would transform the life chances of the almost 1.6 million children affected by the policy across the UK, helping to tackle educational disparities and in turn support schools.  

As educators we are privileged to work with children and young people every day. And we are focused on trying to ensure that every pupil has the foundation they need to get on in life and thrive. But to bring about real transformative change for children, we need urgent government action to lift families out of poverty. Together we can break down barriers to opportunity, but this must start with tackling family hardship at its root. 

Our classrooms are filled with children who are hungry, tired, and lacking the resources and equipment they need to succeed in their education.2 They’re also anxious and distracted by money worries at home as pressures on household budgets endure.3  For too long now we have seen the ways in which child poverty is having a detrimental effect on the wellbeing,4, 5 attainment6 and attendance7 of children and young people, and it is becoming ever more impossible for schools to mitigate this. Pupils and families have been let down by policy makers and it’s time to put this right. 

As school staff and education professionals, we need assurance that you will start to lift the heavy burden of poverty from our children and our classrooms this autumn. One in nine children is now affected by the two-child limit.8 Without action, more than 60 per cent of children in families with three or more children will be affected by the policy by the time it is fully rolled out9and our school system will be stretched beyond repair. This policy harms children’s lives now, but it also limits their future prospects.

We look forward to working with you to fully break down barriers to opportunity by tackling child poverty and would welcome the opportunity to contribute to the work of the Taskforce. 

Yours sincerely,

Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary, Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL)

Leigh Elliott, CEO, Children North East

Alison Garnham, CEO, Child Poverty Action Group

Daniel Kebede, General Secretary, National Education Union (NEU) 

Sam Henson, Deputy Chief Executive, National Governance Association (NGA)

Nick Harrison, CEO, The Sutton Trust

Baz Ramaiah, Head of Policy, The Centre for Education and Youth