The Government's plans to abolish the controversial two-child benefit cap in the upcoming November budget have been welcomed by Right to Life UK.
The pro-life group said there was growing evidence that the policy had influenced many women’s decisions to have an abortion.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to formally announce the policy reversal, which will lift restrictions that have hindered families from obtaining financial support through tax credits or Universal Credit beyond their first two children.
Introduced in April 2017, the two-child cap has long been criticised by campaigners who argue that it disproportionately affects low-income families.
Right To Life UK welcomed the Government’s move, pointing to official data showing a sharp rise in abortions among women with two or more children during the years following its introduction.
Figures from the Department of Health and Social Care reveal that between 2016 and 2021, abortions among women with at least two prior births rose by nearly 26%.
By contrast, abortion rates among women with one child or none increased by under 10% over the same period.
A 2020 survey by abortion provider BPAS found that 59% of mothers of multiple children who chose abortion were aware of the cap before their decision.
Among those receiving Universal Credit or tax credits, 57% said the policy played a significant role in their decision.
Several women described the pressure they felt.
One respondent said: “If there was no two-child limit I would have kept the baby, but I couldn’t afford to feed and clothe it … I’ve really struggled to come to terms with [my decision].”
Another added: “[The two-child limit] was a big factor for me. My husband has lost his job so we are on a very tight budget and when we looked at our finances we realised we couldn’t afford to have another baby.”
Charities and anti-poverty groups have long argued that the cap entrenches hardship for large families.
The Child Poverty Action Group estimates that within the five years since the implementation of the policy, it influenced the lives of 1.4 million children across 400,000 families.
Additionally, the organisation stated: “Every year about 50,000 children are pushed into poverty as a result of the two-child limit, and a further 150,000 children who are already living in poverty see their circumstances deteriorate further.”
According to the End Child Poverty Coalition, the policy reduced support by an average of £3,514 per child in 2025/26.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has calculated that scrapping the cap will cost taxpayers £3.4 billion annually – “roughly 3% of the working-age benefit budget; it is also approximately the same cost as freezing fuel duties for the next parliament, or cutting the basic rate of income tax by half a penny.”
Yet, campaigners argue this investment is necessary to address rising child poverty levels.
The CEO of Right To Life UK, Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, hailed the announcement as “a significant step in the right direction.”
He said: “When women discover they are pregnant, they should be met with the practical help and support they need to continue their pregnancy, not told they will receive less financial support for their next child than for their previous children.”
Government ministers and senior officials in Whitehall, who have been considering measures to tackle child poverty, are expected to put forward the removal of the cap to the Prime Minister ahead of the November Budget.
