Reflections on Key Developments as the Policy and Development Officer for Law Centre and as Convenor of the Cliff Edge Coalition.

These developments must be viewed in the wider context of deepening poverty in NI: statistics show that 18% of people (approximately 335,000) and 25% of children (approximately 115,000) live in relative poverty and 15% of people (approximately 279,000) and 21% of children (approximately 95,000) live in absolute poverty.  

This policy is a key driver of child poverty which has had a disproportionate impact upon thousands of households across NI as there are statistically more larger families in this jurisdiction – 21.4% of families in NI have three or more children compared to 14.7% in the UK. Recent statistics published by the Department for Communities (DfC) highlight that 13,780 households across Northern Ireland impacted by the two-child limit; 48,080 children living in these households are impacted, with 17,600 children not eligible for the child element of Universal Credit.  

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) notes that the removal of this policy is ‘the most cost effective way to reduce child poverty’, and it ‘improves the living standards outlook for low-income families, with disposable income after housing costs 1.1 percentage points higher over this parliament than if the policy was retained’.2 JRF are clear that ‘scrapping the two-child limit in Universal Credit is a necessary step towards meeting the Government’s manifesto commitment to reduce child poverty and give more children the best start in life.’3 New modelling from JRF demonstrates that although despite living standards predicted to fall across the remainder of this parliament, the removal of this policy ‘more than halves the decline in living standards for the poorest third of households’.4 This modelling demonstrates that if this policy was not removed, ‘the decline in living standards for the lowest income third would have been greater, with their incomes now set to fall by 0.8% over the parliament (compared to 1.9%).’5  

 The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) highlights this ‘represents exceptional value for money’, and ‘accounts for less than 1 per cent of the social security bill’.6 IPPR note that their ‘analysis that 70 per cent of the additional spending from removing the two-child limit will go to families in work.’7 Therefore, it is clear that ‘without this change, child poverty would have been higher at the end of this parliament than the start’.8  

As convenor of the Cliff Edge Coalition, we are delighted that our key ask, ‘Remove the two-child limit’, has been achieved. This is a positive outcome resulting from years of dedicated campaigning and policy advocacy, and is a critical step forward I achieving the eradication of poverty across NI. We welcome the commitment by UK government and thank our local elected representatives for their support in removing the two-child limit. However, it is clear that there are more actions which can be delivered upon to address the deepening poverty in NI. Therefore, we continue to advocate for the following:  

•  Removal of the two-child limit:  

 We will continue our engagement with elected representatives and officials to ensure that this policy is removed in full and legislated for from April 2026.  

•  Remove the Benefit Cap:  

 We continue our campaign in calling upon the UK Government to remove the benefit cap. This is a limit on the total amount of social security benefits a household can receive, including Housing Benefit. Following successful campaigning by the Cliff Edge Coalition, which LCNI convenes, a mitigation has been put in place for the benefit cap via a Welfare Supplementary Payment until 31st March 2028. We thank the NI Executive for continuing this mitigation which provides critical support to many families and households across NI.  

 Our response to the NI Executive’s draft Anti-Poverty Strategy was clear: in its current form, the draft Strategy is grossly inadequate and is not fit for purpose. We believe that the right Strategy must be delivered to address poverty adequately and ensure that people’s rights are protected and upheld. Our response, which can be read in detail here, outlines our evidence-based recommendations grounded in our legal and policy work to date:  

 The Advice Sector: Must receive sufficient investment to provide specialist, independent, accurate and timely support across NI;  

• Welfare Mitigations and Discretionary Support: The safety net below the safety net must be adequately resourced and extended indefinitely to support those living in poverty;  

• Child Poverty: Children must be protected and able to grow up in a society where poverty and its harmful impacts are alleviated;  

• Migrants and Poverty: The Executive must commit strategically to reducing poverty and its impacts for migrants across NI;  

• Employment: There must be high-quality, suitable, and accessible job opportunities, with specific measures to protect individual rights.  

 The UK Child Poverty Strategy and an Anti-Poverty Strategy for Northern Ireland must work together to take steps towards the eradication of poverty

Our team consistently seeks policy and legal solutions that will strengthen the social security system and make positive changes to the lives of those who are most in need and will continue to do so. The social security system must receive adequate resourcing, investment and be accessible to claimants. 

 We look forward to ongoing engagement with elected representatives, officials, and stakeholders as we continue to work together to build a social security system that truly meets the needs of people across Northern Ireland.