Law Centre NI statement in advance of Autumn Budget 2025
Statement from Law Centre NI
“Law Centre NI call on the UK Government today to make critical and long-term commitments in the Autumn Budget 2025 to eradicate poverty by abolishing the two – child limit and removing the benefit cap.
As a Regional Support Advice Organisation, we use strategic litigation and policy advocacy in a bid to address systemic issues in social security, employment, and immigration law. Through our work we have become acutely aware of the severe and escalating impact of poverty on individuals, families, and communities across Northern Ireland. With recent statistics showing that 18% of people (approximately 335,000) and 25% of children (approximately 115,000) live in relative poverty in Northern Ireland [1] – this is not just a statistic—it is a crisis undermining health, education, and social cohesion.
As Convenor of the Cliff Edge Coalition, Law Centre NI have consistently campaigned for the abolishment the two-child limit and remove the benefit cap. These policies have been proven to push families deeper into poverty. As of May 2025, there were 13,810 households across Northern Ireland impacted by the two-child policy.[2]
At Law Centre NI we believe that the social security system provides a critical safety net to those who are most in need, and it must be protected and resourced. It is essential that the social security system receives increased investment as support must be available to those who are most in need. These objectives must be delivered upon thorough strategic, timebound and detailed measures.
Freedom from poverty is not optional—it is a foundational right. The Autumn Budget is an opportunity to act decisively. Delay will deepen hardship. The time for action is now.”
- Department for Communities, 2025, Northern Ireland Poverty and Income Inequality Report, 2023/24
- Department for Communities Analytics Division, Data source: Universal Full Credit System (UCFS).