We were delighted that Gordon Brown addressed our 60th anniversary event yesterday. In his speech, he said: 'One group of people who have suffered the biggest cut in living standards is the poorest families in our country, partly because of the two-child rule.' 1/2

Only right that on the occasion of @cpaguk.bsky.social 60th birthday, I use today's post to share a typically forthright call from CPAG's Chief Executive Alison Garnham for the Government to scrap the two-child limit in full, published in @labourlist.bsky.social labourlist.org/2025/11/abol...

109 kids are falling into poverty every day because of the two-child limit. The government must scrap it for all children. Please share.

We’re turning 60! Join our live broadcast marking 60 years of Child Poverty Action Group, featuring keynote speaker Rt Hon Gordon Brown. 📅Thursday 6 November ⏰9:45–11:45 am (online via Zoom) Register for your free place: cpag.org.uk/60years

Scrapping the two-child limit in full would be 'a fresh, cost-effective, and morally unambiguous start to making the days better and the future brighter for kids up and down the country.' labourlist.org/2025/11/abol...

Scrapping the two-child limit in full is the most cost-effective way to reduce the number of children living in poverty, pound for pound. So when the chancellor is facing difficult decisions, it doesn’t make sense to implement a less efficient half-measure. www.lbc.co.uk/article/rach...

On 23rd October, we headed to a Child Poverty Strategy roundtable hosted by Baroness Lister at the HoL. Our participants delivered powerful testimonies & their speech can be read here📣: changingrealities.org/writings/cha... @uofgussp.bsky.social @ippr.org @cpaguk.bsky.social

4.5 million children are growing up in poverty in the UK, and that figure is rising. We’re joining @bigissue.com and 65 other signatories in an open letter urging the government to set child poverty targets in the upcoming child poverty strategy. Read more @theguardian.com buff.ly/hoKSpVb

New post out: "The worst social policy ever" Today we have a guest post from @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social on the abomination that is the two-child limit and why Labour need to scrap it ASAP. Lots of data but also powerful testimony. (Free to read) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...

The Government should act quickly to lift the two-child limit on benefits. Any further delay has significant human consequences, with more and more children captured by the policy every year. Read 'No half measures' 👉 buff.ly/qVc9CWs

Our head of policy Sophie Howes spoke to the Commons Treasury Committee yesterday about why social security is so important for addressing child poverty.

The two child limit and benefit cap are "economically inefficient" because [they] "undermine public health, early years development and educational outcomes.... This in turn increases pressure on local services, including schools, health and housing." www.lbc.co.uk/article/grou...

The reality for children and families living in deep poverty while receiving Home Office Asylum Support gets little attention. My article for @cpaguk.bsky.social Poverty Journal - 'Learning is an essential need' - looks at what this means for children's education cpag.org.uk/news/learnin...

"We would all be better off if child poverty was reduced. And the most efficient, the quickest, the easiest, and the most politically, morally and socially justified way of doing that would be to lift the cap. We would all be better off as a consequence of that." www.lbc.co.uk/article/grou...

Our Budget submission: The top priority is scrapping the two-child limit for all children. This is the most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty. 1/3

Read the full report here: epi.org.uk/publications...

Free School Meals need review to better serve disadvantaged children.  The final report in our @nuffieldfoundation.org-funded project examining FSM as a measure, argues that relying on FSM as a single proxy doesn't reflect the complexity of children’s experiences. news.sky.com/story/why-th...

Coverage of our new analysis in the Mirror www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

NEW: Families are being left with next to nothing to live on after paying rent – £3 a week in the worst cases – because of the benefit cap. The cap is one of the harshest hangovers from austerity, punishing families for their unavoidable costs & leaving them with next to nothing to live on. 1/2

Our Head of Education Policy Kate Anstey will be giving evidence in-person to the UK Govt Covid Inquiry today. You can watch the live-stream here: covid19.public-inquiry.uk/hearings/chi...

The secretary of state for education and the prime minister have been unequivocal in their commitment to reduce child poverty this week and all eyes are on the Budget to see that commitment delivered. 1/2

The Prime Minister’s confirmation that government is on a journey to end child poverty is welcome and this can only mean that the Budget scraps the two-child limit and benefit cap. Children and families have waited patiently and now it’s time for government to deliver.

🚨 Don’t miss our Welfare Rights Conference in Manchester on Wednesday 8th October. Join expert-led workshops & hear from our outstanding line-up of keynote speakers. Secure your spot today: bit.ly/4dH9gU8

Jonny said... It’s the insidious things about child poverty that really get to you and it's the children who are affected that we need to keep in mind [speaking at @cpaguk.bsky.social fringe chaired by @stephenkb.bsky.social ] Read more at www.bigissue.com/opinion/sing...

Setting out the daily reality of life on a low income, Jonny Roberts says 't’s getting to the end of the month and having to buy the cheapest oven thing Or persuading my son although his football boots are too small, he can make do until the next month [at @cpaguk.bsky.social fringe]

‘Child poverty isn't just about statistics or numbers, it's about individual kids. And the time for action is now, those kids cannot wait.’ - our director of policy Sara Ogilvie speaking at our event at #LabourConference25

Today, we're at Labour Party Conference where Jonny Roberts is speaking at a @cpaguk.bsky.social fringe setting out what action Labour needs to take in order to take decisive action on child poverty [sneak preview of what he may say here 🧵]

‘I have to have conversations with my daughter that you hope you wouldn't have to have with your children, about the fact that we just don't have much money’ - Jonny Roberts, @changingrealities.bsky.social speaking at our event at #LabourConference25

‘We are seeing children regularly who are struggling to get to their local doctor or health service because of poverty’ - Dr Mike McKean from @rcpch.bsky.social speaking at our event at #LabourConference25

Packed room for our #Lab25 youth town hall with @thefea.bsky.social, @cpaguk.bsky.social, EY Foundation, @marietidball.bsky.social and @lauramcinerney.bsky.social

‘The Child Poverty Taskforce was set up over a year ago and children and families simply cannot wait any longer for action.’ - our director of policy Sara Ogilvie speaks at #LabourConference2025

Out now: Child Support Handbook, 33rd edition Order your order today bit.ly/427zlY6

🚨 NEW: One million children in working families are affected by the two-child limit, new analysis by @cpaguk.bsky.social has revealed. 3 in 5 families impacted by the two-child limit are working, while a large majority who are not working have young children or are ill or disabled. 1/4

Hopefully there is now a clear understanding across govt that unless the two-child limit is scrapped, there will be more kids in poverty at the end of this parliament than when Labour took office. The policy must go in the child poverty strategy before the life chances of many more kids are damaged.

1 million children in working families are hit by the two-child limit. We asked parents how it affects them and their kids.

Our Welfare Rights Conference is almost here! 📍 Manchester – 8th October 📍 London – 23rd October Spaces are limited, book now to secure your spot: bit.ly/4dH9gU8

Low-income families and disabled people were, at most, an afterthought during the pandemic, with government’s primary intention to support higher-income households who had a sudden loss of income, CPAG told Baroness Hallett at the Covid inquiry today. cpag.org.uk/news/low-inc...

🗞️ New briefing on Ensuring the Child Poverty Strategy delivers for all children by Gingerbread, @cpaguk.bsky.social, @runnymedetrust.bsky.social, The Baby Bank Alliance & others: www.gingerbread.org.uk/our-work/news-and-views/ensuring-the-child-poverty-strategy-delivers-for-all-children/

🗞️ New research from @cpaguk.bsky.social shows that children from low-income families are being "bounced out of some subjects" at school due to prohibitive costs, a charity has warned. Read more here: www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/gcse-cost-music-child-poverty-action-group-b2817618.html

🏫 As children return to school this week, we've got some homework for the Government! By Sept 2026, policymakers need to have fully rolled out the #FreeSchoolMeals extension, updated standards and introduced a strong monitoring process. Watch to find out more: ➡️ bit.ly/4g7UYNt

New @cpaguk.bsky.social research shows secondary pupils on FSM are being ‘bounced out’ of subjects like geography, languages, music, and PE—not by choice, but due to cost. CPAG calls for scrapping the two-child benefit cap in the Autumn child-poverty strategy. 1/2

School costs can be a challenge all year round, but September often brings the biggest outlays on uniform and kit. Too many children in poverty miss out on the School Essentials Grant because the eligibility threshold has been frozen since 2019. Meanwhile, the cost of school keeps rising.

🚨 Today we launched a joint briefing with Gingerbread, @runnymedetrust.bsky.social @z2ktrust.bsky.social @praxisprojects.bsky.social and others on how child poverty affects different groups & the inclusive govt actions needed to tackle it. Link below ⬇️ bit.ly/47RgwvM

'There are a lot of households living in poverty in Wales who cannot currently access free school meals or the school essentials grant. They can't get help with the cost of school trips.' - Our senior education policy officer @ellieharwood.bsky.social quoted here www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

'We didn’t have the right equipment for a DT project so had to buy some but it was near the end of the month so didn’t have enough so we had to leave it until pay day and then hand the homework late.' - The reality of school costs. Read more: cpag.org.uk/news/back-sc...

Parents face significant costs sending kids to school. Here are experiences from @changingrealities.bsky.social: Cara A: 'My children are not able to get... supplies because we do not have enough money. Some of their subjects require them to purchase textbook which cost around £30-£50.'

'I don’t think many people understand the mental gymnastics of parenting on a shoestring budget, and the fear and tiredness that accompanies that. It pushes a lonely space on our kids too.' - Evelyn D from @changingrealities.bsky.social on the pressure on families.

Coverage of our new research on the impact of subject costs on children in low-income families in @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/education/20...

NEW Secondary school children from low-income families are starting the new school year bounced out of some subjects by costs. 23% of those on FSMs say the cost or worries about the cost of taking a subject has prevented them from choosing a subject (compared to 9% of peers).

NEW - track key changes to health-related and disability benefits all in one place, from the Pathways to Work Green Paper, Universal Credit Bill and Employment Rights Bill: cpag.org.uk/welfare-righ...