Has the two-child limit ended?

What the two-child limit was

From April 2017, Universal Credit only paid the child amount for your first 2 children. A third or later child born on or after 6 April 2017 usually got nothing extra, unless an exception applied. Exceptions included multiple births, adoption, kinship care, and children conceived without consent.

The Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Act 2026 became law on 18 March 2026. The limit ended on 6 April 2026. Universal Credit now pays the child amount for every child, however many you have.

Child amounts for 2026/27

The disabled child amounts are paid on top of the child amount.

When the extra money arrived

You did not need to do anything. If you were already claiming, your Universal Credit was updated automatically. The higher payments started from May or June 2026, depending on the dates of your monthly assessment period.

Worked example 1: family with 3 children

Amira and Ben are both over 25 and have 3 children, all born after April 2017.

• Before 6 April 2026: 2 x £303.94 = £607.88 a month for children
• Now: 3 x £303.94 = £911.82 a month for children
• Extra: £303.94 a month, or £3,647.28 a year

With their standard allowance of £666.97, their maximum Universal Credit before earnings and housing is £1,578.79 a month.

Worked example 2: when the benefit cap gets in the way

The benefit cap limits the total benefits most working-age households can get. Outside Greater London, the cap for a couple or a single parent is £1,835 a month (£22,020 a year).

Lee and Kim live in Manchester and have 4 children. Their benefits came to £1,700 a month before April 2026. Their extra child amounts add £607.88 (2 x £303.94), taking them to £2,307.88. But the cap holds them at £1,835, so they gain only £135 a month.

What changes the amount

• The benefit cap. The extra child amounts count towards it. In Greater London the cap for a couple or a single parent is £2,110.25 a month.
• Earnings. If you and your partner earn £881 or more a month combined, after tax and National Insurance, the benefit cap does not apply. A 9 month grace period may also apply.
• Other parts of your claim, such as earnings, savings and deductions, still reduce your payment as normal.

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

• Scotland and Wales: Universal Credit is run by DWP, so the same rules apply.
• Northern Ireland: Universal Credit is run separately, but the two-child limit also ended there on 6 April 2026. Any increase should have been paid by June 2026.

Related guides

• How much Universal Credit will I get?
• What is the benefit cap?
• What is Child Benefit?
• How much help with childcare costs can I get on Universal Credit?
• Am I eligible for Universal Credit?

Where these figures come from

• Universal Credit if you have children, GOV.UK
• Universal Credit payments for more than 2 children before 6 April 2026, GOV.UK
• Two-child limit scrapped as Bill becomes law, GOV.UK
• Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027, DWP
• Benefit cap amounts, GOV.UK
• Benefit cap: when you're not affected, GOV.UK
• Universal Credit: two child limit, nidirect