New data reveals North West as hotspot for families hit by two-child limit on benefits

More than a third of the 30 English constituencies with the highest percentage of households
hit by the two-child limit are in the North West region, new data shows.

The North West features 11 times in the list of the hardest hit 30 constituencies, which is the
highest proportion of all regions. At least 1 in 5 children and their families are impacted by the
policy in these constituencies.

Salford (26.4%), Bolton South and Walkden (25%) and Gorton and Denton (24.9%) have some of
the highest percentages of children affected by the two-child limit in England. The data also shows
a strong correlation between the two-child limit and areas with high rates of child poverty.

New local data, obtained by the End Child Poverty Coalition, of which Manchester-based nonprofit
Resolve Poverty is a steering group member, shows that over a third of the 30 English
constituencies with the highest percentage of affected children are in the North West region.

This Sunday will mark eight years since the two-child limit came into force. The policy affects
families entitled to benefits who have had a third or subsequent child after 6 April 2017, denying
them £3,514 per year per child compared with families who have a third or subsequent child born
before that date.

Research suggests that scrapping the two-child limit is the most cost-effective way of addressing
child poverty. Ending the policy would lift 300,000 children directly out of poverty.

The new data also shows how much money each constituency could gain if the limit was scrapped.
For example, Liverpool Riverside, ranked the most deprived constituency in England, could gain £5.2 million annually.