As you may have seen in the media, there is growing pressure on the Prime Minister to remove the two-child benefit cap.
A new analysis of official data completed by our Policy Team shows there has been a disproportionately large increase in abortions among mothers with two or more existing children between 2016 and 2021.
The two-child benefit cap was introduced in 2017, affecting households that had a third or subsequent child born on or after 6 April 2017, but news of its introduction likely began to influence women’s decision to have abortions earlier in that year.
The results of an earlier survey suggest that the two-child benefit cap was a significant factor in many of these mothers’ decisions to have an abortion.
Of those in receipt of tax credits or universal credit, and therefore most likely to be affected by the two-child benefit cap, 57% “said that the policy was important in their decision-making around whether or not to continue the pregnancy”.
When mothers discover they are pregnant, they should be met with the practical help and support they need to continue their pregnancy, not told that they will receive less financial support for their next child than for their previous children.
This evidence suggests that the two-child benefit cap is a significant factor in leading some women with two or more children to have an abortion. Removing it would likely save many lives from abortion and ensure more support for mothers who continue their pregnancies.
TAKE ACTION
Building on our previous work campaigning for the two-child benefit cap to be removed, tonight we have launched a new Every Child Counts campaign tool that makes it simple for you to send an email to your MP asking them to take action to scrap the two-child benefit cap.
Please take action now and click the button below to contact your MP using the tool. It will only take 30 seconds of your time.
Thanks again for all your help.