“I’ve got four people in my house, but I only actually get money to keep three of us alive”

New research by Citizens Advice Plymouth and the University of Plymouth explores the impacts of the Two-child Limit Policy on families in Plymouth
Rear view of a mature man walking down the street with his children. He is holding his sons hand and carrying his baby daughter.
Larger families across Plymouth are facing heightened financial, social and mental health pressures as a result of the two-child benefit cap, according to new research.
A study by Citizens Advice Plymouth and the University of Plymouth explored the impact of the policy – introduced in April 2017 – on families with more than two children.
Under the policy, the eligibility of families to claim certain elements of Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit was restricted to two children per household.
Figures suggest more than 1,600 families in the Plymouth area have been impacted by the policy, receiving around £3,500 less each year in credit per child, at a time of significant price increases affecting household goods and services.
For the new report, researchers interviewed eight adults impacted by the two-child policy in Plymouth, to gauge their personal feeling about the impact it was having on their daily lives.
In addition to the financial impacts, the interviews highlighted that families affected by the policy change were living with increased stress and anxiety and were more likely to drop social activities, which was further impacting their mental health.
Those spoken to by the researchers also felt the policy hadn’t achieved its stated key aim – of incentivising people receiving benefits to return to work – as they were either already working, or had long-term health conditions that prevented them from doing so.
Based on their findings, the researchers have suggested that changes in circumstances out of their control are having a detrimental on thousands of people in the Plymouth area, and “systematically pushing large families living in Plymouth into deprivation”.
As a result, they have called on the Government to abolish the Two-Child Limit Policy to avoid it having negative impacts on both adults and children now and in the future.

The wellbeing of children and their families is something that should be close to all of our hearts. As researchers, we are acutely aware of the real challenges being faced by families in Plymouth, and supporting them to raise their voices is really important.

This project made space to listen to parents in Plymouth as they manage the consequences of the national Two-Child Limit Policy, restricting the eligibility of several welfare benefits. We have heard descriptions of handling basic needs and everyday life that illustrate the complex, wide-reaching and negative consequences of the Two-Child Limit policy.
Based on those conversations, we believe the harsh consequences of this policy must be addressed to do justice to parents and their children as they have rights now and are the citizens of tomorrow.

Ulrike HohmannDr Ulrike Hohmann
Associate Professor in Early Childhood Studies

In the past couple of years, we have seen a sharp increase in demand for crisis support and requests for foodbank referrals. Unfortunately, the assistance from the Government is gradually decreasing, which will affect many larger families in Plymouth – particularly those already impacted by the Two Child Limit Policy or Benefit Cap.

This research clearly shows that the policy leaves many Plymouth families who are dealing with unexpected change in circumstances – such as illness, job loss and relationship breakdown – in a precarious financial position. This often leads to anxiety about how to make ends meet when prices are constantly increasing and prevents local children from social participation, which might disadvantage them in the future.
We are concerned that if the policy isn’t scrapped, deprivation in Plymouth will deepen, pressure on mental health services will increase, and more children will live in poverty with overall worse life outcomes.
Emma Handley
CEO of Citizens Advice Plymouth 
In addition to calling for the policy’s abolition, the researchers have recommended a number of measures they believe could be taken by authorities in Plymouth to help those currently impacted. They include:
  • Recommending that Plymouth City Council considers how families impacted by the policy fit into the local Child Poverty Action Plan, in terms of improved employment opportunities, and ensures all children have equal access to healthy lifestyle opportunities and social activities;
  • Urging local authorities to take preventative measures to ensure that families’ incomes are maximised, that there is a better understanding of the social security system and that there is other support available to disadvantaged families;
  • Ensuring that, in Britain's Ocean City, free swimming lessons in swimming pools and the sea are made a priority in terms of sponsored social interactions by the Council, at the same time highlighting the benefits of growing up in a coastal city;
  • Finding ways to invest in children’s social participation, given that social activities are considered to be a crucial aspect of children’s development particularly in forming bonds with peers.
 

Case Study: Tamsin's story

Tamsin lives with her partner and four daughters.
Their oldest daughter is in full-time employment and contributes towards some household costs. Tasmin’s husband is disabled, and she is his carer.
One of her daughters is on the autism spectrum and another is in the pathway for autism referral.
Tamsin started claiming benefits when she had her first daughter 22 years ago. All of her children have been entitled to free school meals, but she has seen a lot of support has been withdrawn.
She tries to find money in their family budget for her youngest children to socialise and attend after school clubs. And when it comes to shopping, she explains to her children that they can’t have what they want and doesn’t buy anything for herself.
Tamsin believes that the Two-child Limit policy takes away from everyone in the household.
A woman wearing casual clothes sits by a bright window with her arms stretched out in front of her, looking at her mobile phone. She appears in darkness.
"I find the best way to put it is – I've got three kids but I get money for two kids, and I can’t not feed one! Still got to feed all your kids and still got to feed all the family, so that money has to be shared between three instead of two. I’ll be buying the cheapest of the cheap because that’s what I can afford. But it still means that sometimes bills can't be paid."
 
 

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