Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill

Steve Witherden Excerpts

2nd reading & Money resolution
Tuesday 3rd February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Steve Witherden (Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr) (Lab)]

Scrapping the two-child limit is a clear win-win. It will improve the living standards of around 1.6 million children overnight and prevent hundreds of thousands more from being pushed into poverty in the years ahead, while also leading to better health, development, educational attainment and economic outcomes. These improvements will shape life chances, ease the pressure on our public services and strengthen our wider economy.

This decision is a testament to the campaigners who have worked tirelessly for years to see the two-child limit repealed, and to hon. Members from across the House who have repeatedly called for change, including those who lost the Labour Whip in 2024 for standing firmly by their principles. I strongly support this measure and will, of course, vote in favour.

The cruel two-child limit was introduced by the Conservative Government in 2015, with the stated aim of making savings in the welfare system. The bottom line is that misdirected interventions, based on cuts rather than investment, will never fix a system that is producing deepening poverty.

Poverty and the cost of living crisis are taking a devastating toll on Welsh communities. Across Wales, thousands of people are struggling to make ends meet, going without essentials and falling further into debt. With just three months to go until the elections, it is clear that this crisis will not disappear, and we should pull every available lever to tackle it. Removing the two-child cap and delivering a robust child poverty strategy are welcome steps, but more must be done.

[Neil Duncan-Jordan (Poole) (Lab)]

Five in six low-income households on universal credit are going without the essentials. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Trussell Trust say that the welfare system must provide the essentials of daily living— food, heating and so on—if we are to tackle deep-seated poverty in this country. Does my hon. Friend agree?

[Steve Witherden]

I agree with my hon. Friend, who cites some absolutely appalling statistics. An essentials guarantee would embed the principle that universal credit should, at a minimum, protect people from going without food, heating and other basics. A protected minimum floor would ensure that no one falls below a humane safety net.

I hope that the Government continue along the path of reversing cruel Conservative policies that harm the most vulnerable in our society.