AQW 35248/22-27


Ms Sian Mulholland
Alliance Party
North Antrim


Tabled Date: 11/11/2025
Answered On Date: 17/11/2025
Priority Written: Yes


Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail the number of (i) households affected by the two-child limit policy; (ii) children living in these households; and (iii) children not eligible for benefit support as a result of the two-child limit, in the most recent year available.


Answer:
The table below shows (i) households affected by the two-child limit policy; (ii) children living in these households; and (iii) children not eligible for benefit support as a result of the two-child limit, by month, in the most recent year available.
Date
Households affected
Number of children in affected households
Number of children not eligible for child element
Jun-24
10,830
37,590
13,230
Jul-24
11,240
38,980
13,710
Aug-24
11,590
40,220
14,370
Sep-24
12,260
42,670
15,250
Oct-24
12,910
45,120
16,100
Nov-24
13,260
46,380
16,570
Dec-24
13,410
46,920
16,780
Jan-25
13,660
47,850
17,140
Feb-25
13,890
48,700
17,460
Mar-25
13,710
48,110
17,260
Apr-25
13,820
48,430
17,390
May-25
13,810
48,380
17,410
Notes:
Data Source: Universal Full Credit System (UCFS) at May 2025. Due to retrospection of UCFS data these figures are subject to change.
Due to instances of missing data around children declarations and dates of birth please treat these figures as estimates.
Not all children who are the third or subsequent child will be impacted by the two child policy. The number of children born before the policy will determine how many children in the household are counted towards the UC award calculation. Some children may also be exempt from the policy
All figures are rounded to the nearest ten. Totals may not sum due to rounding.