I’m a mum impacted by the two-child limit on benefits. Labour must do what’s right and end it

New figures show that one in nine children live in households affected by the two-child limit. This includes families like mine, who receive no support for the third and subsequent children in their households. I know just how tough this can be. 

I am a single parent of three young kids, all under the age of 16. I am a full-time parent, and co-parent with the children’s dad, who will take them for a few days. My youngest has got learning difficulties and I’m trying to get to some support from the school with this.

I am also a carer for my mum, who is elderly and has a lot of health issues. I help her with appointments, cooking and cleaning and sometimes with her bathing too. I was recently offered a job as a support worker, and I’m hoping to start it soon.

Read more:

• One in nine children hit by two-child benefit cap: ‘The public will not stomach inaction’
• ‘Do what’s right for UK’s children’: Urgent call to scrap two-child benefit cap projected onto parliament
• I’m a working mum-of-four – ending the two-child benefit cap would be life-changing for us

With the school holidays coming, I’m just not sure how I’m going to manage. I usually just spend extra time at my mums with the children. I’ll have to take the children there, and am hoping to go and visit my sisters. I need to work out how to try and keep costs down with the long holiday break.

I feel bad for the girls, as I’d like to give them a proper summer break. It makes me feel really anxious about what we will do and what the kids might want to do. My kids are good, as they’ve adjusted to life in poverty and they get on with life not asking for a lot, and knowing we can’t afford things. I do feel bad for them though. 

If the government would get rid of the two-child limit, it would make life a bit easier for me. I could plan better times for the children, I wouldn’t have to budget every penny of what we are eating and drinking. I’d like to give the kids just a little bit more. The occasional day out or a meal out once in a while. Right now, I’m always on edge about money, and so it might help with that too. 

It’s good to see the government promise to act on child poverty, but what they’ve announced so far won’t help me. All three of my children already get free school meals so the decision to make these available to all on universal credit in England won’t help us at all. It’s a good thing to be doing, but won’t make a difference for my family. 

The government should take into account the cost of living, and how much it costs tor raise kids, even on the most basic of items, and the particular difficulties in the summer holidays. Families just can’t do things and can’t bond with their kids, and children are left feeling left out.

Kids know and understand that they’re different from other kids because of their poverty. But this can and must change. Families like mine are struggling so much with the costs going up and up, and a lack of increased support from the government. I just hope Labour do the right thing and get rid of the two-child limit, for the sake of families like mine and the millions of children harmed by the policy

Sara is a participant in the Benefit Changes and Larger Families study.

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