I am Rosie, the founder of Rosie’s Corner – a service that provides pre-owned baby and children’s clothing, shoes and equipment to families in need in West Northumberland. I set up this organisation to help alleviate the pressures for families living in poverty because I could see the impact that the two-child benefit cap was having on local families.
I am also a member of the End Child Poverty Coalition, a group of more than 130 child welfare groups, social justice groups, faith groups, trade unions and others who are campaigning for an end to child poverty in the UK.
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As well as running Rosie’s Corner, I am a single mum of three children and am impacted by the two-child limit. My third child was one of the first children to be impacted by this policy – they were born in May 2017. This policy has driven my family into deep poverty by eliminating £3,514 from my annual income.
I have found myself relying on credit cards and ‘buy now, pay later’ for essential items like bills and fresh food, fruit and vegetables to feed three growing children. My children have missed out on extracurricular activities which inevitably would have had a positive impact on their education, social skills and self-confidence. During lockdown my children did not have access to many learning resources as I was not able to afford educational technology such as laptops and tablets. My son has additional needs and would benefit from learning at home using apps which he can use in school, however most are only available on certain devices which cost more money than I can afford. My son cannot keep up with his peers.
I am often juggling my money between essential bills and treats like days out. I do not drive or buy expensive clothing, and my children have never been abroad. I’m very good at budgeting my money but it is simply not enough.
The End Child Poverty Coalition has called for this government to scrap the two-child limit to benefit payments. We know this is the most cost-effective way to lift children out of poverty. This policy has to go, it cannot be scrapped for some families and not others as this would result in some of the most vulnerable families remaining in poverty – with no way to pull themselves out.
