Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill 2024-26

NC3

To move the following Clause—
“Review of the impact of the Act on child poverty, destitution, and wider social and economic outcomes
(1) The Secretary of State must, within 12 months of this Act coming into force, review the effect of this Act on—
(a) overall levels of child poverty in the UK;
(b) levels of destitution and deep poverty among households with children;
(c) households in receipt of Universal Credit which include children;
(d) educational outcomes for children in households affected by poverty;
(e) physical and mental health outcomes for children in households affected by poverty; and
(f) longer-term impacts on economic participation, workforce skills, and demand on health and welfare services arising from child poverty and destitution.
(2) The Secretary of State must lay before Parliament a report setting out the conclusions of the review.”

This new clause would require the Secretary of State to undertake a review of the effects of the Act on child poverty, destitution, and wider social and economic outcomes.

NC4

To move the following Clause—
“Assessment of the impact of the Act on child poverty
(1) The Secretary of State must, within 6 months of the passing of this Act, undertake an assessment of the effects of this Act on children and child poverty.
(2) The assessment under subsection (1) must consider households with three or more children which are subject to, or as a result of this Act become subject to, the benefit cap.
(3) The assessment must estimate the annual cost to the Exchequer of—
(a) implementation of this Act, and
(b) implementation of this Act if households were not subject to the benefits cap.
(4) The Secretary of State must consult the following organisations in undertaking the assessment—
(a) Child Poverty Action Group,
(b) End Child Poverty Coalition,
(c) Save the Children UK,
(d) The Children’s Society,
(e) Barnado’s UK,
(f) Action for Children,
(g) Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and
(h) any other organisation that he deems appropriate.
(5) The Secretary of State must lay before both Houses of Parliament a copy of the assessment.”

This new clause would require the Secretary of State to undertake an assessment of the effects of this Act on children and child poverty in consultation with a number of relevant specialist organisations and also assess the cost of removing the cap.

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Page 1, line 1, leave out Clause 1

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Page 1, line 21, leave out Clause 2

NC1

Removal of two child limit: report on effects on children in households subject to the benefit cap (1) The Secretary of State must, within six months of the passing of this Act, lay before Parliament an impact assessment of the effects of this Act on households and children. (2) The assessment under subsection (1) must include an estimate of the total number of households, and the number of households in poverty, which will not receive— (a) an overall increase in benefit support from the abolition of the two child limit from April 2026 due to being subject to the overall benefit cap, and (b) the full potential increase in benefit support they would have been entitled to from the abolition of the two child limit from April 2026, but for the fact that they became subject to the overall benefit cap following any increase provided through the abolition of the two child limit, and the assessment must include the total number of children in such households, and the impact on the number of such households in poverty. (3) The estimates made under subsection (2) must include analysis at the following levels— (a) country, (b) county, (c) local authority, and (d) parliamentary constituency.”

NC2

Mr Adrian Hussain

Report on the effects on households with a disabled family member (1) The Secretary of State must, within 12 months of the passing of this Act, lay before Parliament an impact assessment of the effects of this Act on the number of households in poverty with more than two children that have at least one disabled family member. (2) The assessment under subsection (1) must also consider— (a) the cumulative impact of changes to universal credit since July 2024 on households in poverty that have at least one disabled family member, and who are affected by this Act, and (b) any changes in the standard of living for households with— (i) three or more children, and (ii) at least one person in receipt of the Universal Credit health element, arising from implementation of this Act.”