What are the exceptions to the two-child limit on Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit?

Full answer

The two-child limit, introduced in April 2017, generally means the child element of Universal Credit (and the child element of the legacy Child Tax Credit) is only paid for a claimant's first two children, with no additional child element for a third or subsequent child born after 6 April 2017 (children born before that date are unaffected regardless of birth order). However, a defined list of exceptions allows the child element to be claimed for further children in specific circumstances: multiple births (if a third or later child is one of twins or triplets, an exception applies to the additional children from that multiple birth beyond the first two overall); adoption (a child who is adopted, where the household did not previously claim for a similar number of children, may fall within the exception); non-parental caring arrangements (kinship carers, such as grandparents or other family members caring for a child who is not their own, including under a Special Guardianship Order, child arrangements order, or where the child would otherwise be looked after by a local authority); and the "non-consensual conception" exception, which allows a claim for a child conceived as a result of rape or in a controlling or coercive relationship, without requiring the claimant to report the matter to the police, though supporting evidence and a conversation with a healthcare professional or approved third-party organisation is usually needed as part of the DWP's evidential process. There is also an exception for a child who was the third (or later) child in the family at the point the limit was introduced due to specific historic transitional circumstances. Because these exceptions involve sensitive evidence requirements, claimants believing they may qualify are usually advised to seek support from Citizens Advice or a specialist welfare rights adviser when making the claim. Use the Universal Credit calculator to check your basic entitlement, noting it may need manual adjustment if an exception applies.

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