Reform UK would restore the two-child benefit cap if elected at the next general election, according to its new Treasurer.
In his first speech as the party’s Treasury spokesman, Conservative defector Robert Jenrick said that the party “cannot afford” to support families in having more children, so would reinstate the cap.
The announcement was part of a broader speech delivered in the City of London, where Reform pledged to revamp child benefits, reform benefits for those with mobility issues, and stop benefits for those with “mild anxiety, depression, and similar conditions.”
He also said he would ensure only British nationals had access to benefits, potentially stripping away support for millions of people, including long-term residents across the country, during a severe cost-of-living crisis.
Addressing attempts to encourage people to have more children, Jenrick said: “We can’t just do that by spending more and more on benefits”.
“Someone has to instil some realism into this business,” he added.
First introduced by a Conservative government in 2017 to limit benefits to the first two children, the two-child benefit cap is set to be scrapped from April under the Labour government.
The end of the controversial cap, dubbed a political exercise in division between the “deserving and undeserving poor,” would lift around 450,000 UK children out of poverty, according to government estimates.
However, the Tories have long criticised plans to give parents more benefits for additional children, arguing against ending the two-child benefit cap.
Jenrick’s remarks come just one week before the country faces its first crunch vote of the year, with the Gorton and Denton by-election gearing up to be a battle between the Green Party and Reform.
So what exactly is the two-child benefit limit, and how has it affected British families?
Here is everything you need to know.
What is the two-child benefit limit?
The benefit cap first came into effect in 2013, limiting the amount of benefits a household could receive.
Then, later in 2017, the Conservatives introduced a two-child limit with the aim of encouraging parents of larger families to work and low-income families to have fewer children.
The policy prevents parents from claiming child tax credit or universal credit for their third or subsequent children born after April 2017.
How has the child benefit limit affected UK families?
Research conducted by the universities of York, Oxford, and London School of Economics revealed that the two-child limit and the benefit cap had failed to meet their own goals, having zero positive incentive impact on employment and failing to reduce fertility among poorer families.
Plus, it was found that the cap had been “poverty-producing”, causing thousands of low-income families anxiety and hardship.
Talking about their findings, Ruth Patrick from the University of York has shared: “Our research evidence makes clear that the two-child limit and benefit cap are poverty-producing policies, which fail to meet their stated aims. Both policies need to be removed urgently, as part of a broader commitment to addressing child poverty and investing in children and families.”
How much is Child Benefit?
For the 2025-2026 financial year, Child Benefit will see a family’s eldest or only child given £26.05 per week, and the second child receives £17.25 per week.
So, in total, families with two or more kids get £173.30 per month to support themselves.
This comes at a time of soaring bills and a cost-of-living crisis, with many families saying their weekly food shop regularly costs more than £100.
While Labour’s plans to scrap the cap would ensure more families can get a little extra cash to stay afloat, Reform says they would keep the cap in place.
Child Benefit is usually paid every four weeks on a Monday or Tuesday. However, you can have the money paid weekly if you’re a single parent or getting certain other benefits, such as Universal Credit.
If either parent’s adjusted net income exceeds £50,000 a year, they may have to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge.