Statement on Bill to end the two-child limit
This is a historic day for children and families across the UK as legislation to remove the two-child limit from our social security system starts to make its way through Parliament.
The two-child limit was an awful experiment that hurt children. More than any other policy, the two-child limit is responsible for driving child poverty to its current record high.
Poverty has a devastating impact on young lives. Children going without things they need to learn and grow, living in damp homes, struggling at school, facing isolation and stress.
Today marks the moment when we start to turn things around for the next generation. We commend the government for making the choice to scrap the two-child limit and ask all MPs to stand with children and support this Bill.
Every child deserves the best start in life, with a decent childhood that lays the foundations for a strong future. Ending the two-child limit sets our country on the right path to meet that ambition.
Matthew McGregor, CEO, 38 Degrees
Brigitte Gater, Managing Director of Children's Services, Action for Children
Fiona Ashcroft, CEO, Alder Hey Children’s Charity
Pepe Di'Iasio, General Secretary, ASCL
Diana Skelton, Head of Giving Poverty a Voice programme, ATD Fourth World
Dani Adams, Executive Lead, Baby Bank Alliance
Rhianon Steeds, Campaigns and Public Affairs Manager, Big Issue
Prof Sam Baron, interim BASW CEO, The British Association of Social Workers
Patrick O'Dowd, Director, Caritas Salford
Claire Burns, Director, CELCIS, the Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection
Alison Garnham, Chief Executive, Child Poverty Action Group
Leigh Elliott, CEO, Children North East
Mark Russell OBE, Chief Executive, The Children’s Society
Liam Purcell, Chief Executive Officer, Church Action on Poverty
Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive, Citizens Advice
Dame Carol Homden, CEO, Coram
Sarah Ronan, Executive Director, Early Education and Childcare Coalition
Joe Howes, Chair, End Child Poverty Coalition and CEO, Buttle UK
Claire Donovan, Director, End Furniture Poverty
Catherine Murphy, Executive Director, Engender
Chris Brill, CEO, Expert Link
Tracy Daszkiewicz, President, UK Faculty of Public Health
Will Snell, Chief Executive, Fairness Foundation
Cherie Bija, CEO, Faith in Families
Cheryl Ward CBE, Chief Executive, Family Fund
Charlotte Hill, CEO, FareShare/The Felix Project
Andrew Forsey OBE, National Director, Feeding Britain
Sarah Mann, CEO, Friends, Families and Travellers
Abigail Wood, CEO, Gingerbread
Emilie de Bruijn, Chair, Hartlepool Baby Bank
Rachel Pidgeon, Interim Head of Children's Mental Health Programme, Impact on Urban Health
Martyn Walker, Communications & Public Affairs Manager, includem
Michael Gidney, CEO, In Kind Direct
Alison Morton, CEO, Institute of Health Visiting
Alfie Stirling, Director of Insight and Policy, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Helen Flynn, Head of Programmes and Partnerships, Just Fair
Louise Johns-Shepherd, Chief Executive, The Kids Network
Steph Capewell, Chief Executive, Love, Amelia
Kitty Stewart, Associate Director of the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE, Benefit Changes and Larger Families Research Project
Mark Rowland, Chief Executive Officer, Mental Health Foundation
Matt Wrack, General Secretary, NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union
Phillip Anderson, Strategic Director for External Affairs, National Children’s Bureau
Daniel Kebede, General Secretary, National Education Union
Sam Henson, Deputy Chief Executive, National Governance Association
Beth Farhat, Chair, North East Child Poverty Commission
Minnie Rahman, CEO, Praxis
Graham Whitham, Chief Executive Officer, Resolve Poverty
Lynn Woolsey, Chief Nursing Officer, Royal College of Nursing
Professor Steve Turner, President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
William Roberts, CEO, Royal Society for Public Health
Dan Paskins, Executive Director - UK Impact, Save the Children UK
Stephanie Slater MBE, Founder/Chief Executive, School Food Matters
Sara Cowan, Director, Scottish Women’s Budget Group
Ruth Talbot, Founder, Single Parent Rights
Vikki Brownridge, Chief Executive, StepChange Debt Charity
James Toop, CEO, Teach First
Katie Taylor, Head of Communities and Social Change, Toynbee Hall
Helen Barnard, Director of Policy & Research, Trussell
Kate Bell, Assistant General Secretary, TUC
Thomas Lawson, CEO, Turn2us
Dr Philip Goodwin, Chief Executive Officer, The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK)
Dr Sara Reis, Interim Director, UK Women’s Budget Group
Sonia Malik, Associate Director of Policy, Influencing and Voice, Young Lives vs Cancer
Rose Grayston, Interim Director of Policy & Engagement, Z2K
Andy Peers, Chief Executive, Zarach