Every day the two-child cap stays is another day of families struggling

A single mum with three daughters has described the two-child cap on benefits as “four of us trying to manage on the money provided for three”.

In a Guardian column, the anonymous Bradford mum explained how the cap means her family’s constantly cutting back and barely getting by each day.

Like many other mums, she receives no financial support from her children’s dad – a personal choice after ending an abusive relationship – and is struggling to find a job that fits around school hours.

“Even if I did find work, I’d still be affected by the two-child limit, because it hits those in work as well as those on benefits. So working mums on lower wages will still suffer unless it goes,” she says.

The two-child limit means the unnamed mum gets either universal credit or tax credits for her eldest daughters, but no payment for her youngest.

As a result, her four-year-old is missing out on more than £3,000 each year – money that could mean the difference between surviving and being a little more comfortable.

The mum explains she’s already worrying about finding money for three school uniforms next month, while a day out during the summer holidays is out of the question, even though she’s constantly cutting back on spending.

She says they “just about” have money to eat, though she makes the most of her budget by buying reduced items and freezing bread close to going out of date. On top of this, her daughter’s allergies mean she needs different milk, which is an added expense as it’s usually more costly than cow’s milk.

If the government does decide to lift the limit, the mum wouldn’t be forced to stretch funds further than she needs to as that extra bit of money would change her kids’ lives immediately.

In her words, “I don’t want anything lavish. I’d just like to be able to feed my kids without worrying that I might be short at the end of the month”.

“If the two-child limit were to go, it would make a real difference to our lives.”

This family’s experience is far from unique. Many households are in similar positions and some are even worse off.

That’s why we’re calling on the government to scrap the two-child cap and immediately lift a quarter of a million children out of poverty.

If you’re struggling to make ends meet because of this limit, it might be time to ask for help.

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