Muslim families disproportionately affected by UK’s two-child benefit cap
Exclusive data shows the two-child benefit cap disproportionately impacts Muslim families, deepening child poverty in minority communities
LONDON (MNTV) – New report reveals that 155,000 more Muslim children are impacted by the U.K.’s controversial two-child benefit cap than previously estimated.
Labour MPs and the party’s Muslim network have intensified calls for the government to repeal the policy, which experts describe as “cruel and immoral.”
The analysis, commissioned by media outlet Hyphen and conducted by the Office for National Statistics, highlights the cap’s disproportionate effect on Muslim families.
According to the 2021 census, 744,863 Muslim children lived in families with three or more dependent children—up 26% from 2011.
This accounts for 55% of Muslim children, nearly double the 29% average across the general population.
Introduced under the coalition government, the two-child limit restricts child tax credit and universal credit for third or subsequent children born after April 2017.
Rights experts argue this policy unfairly pushes low-income families, particularly those from minority communities, deeper into poverty.
Apsana Begum, MP for Poplar and Limehouse, told Hyphen that the policy disproportionately impacts Muslim families and urged Labour to take decisive action.
“Scrapping this unfair policy is a vital first step in addressing child poverty,” she said, adding that many Muslim voters feel their concerns have been overlooked by mainstream politics.
Naz Shah, vice-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims, echoed the sentiment, stating, “Lifting the cap means lifting children out of poverty.”
Ali Milani, chair of the Labour Muslim Network, called for immediate abolition of the cap, which he described as “immoral.”
The policy’s broader implications are stark.
Government figures show 1.6 million children—one in nine—are affected.
The Resolution Foundation estimates repealing the cap could lift 500,000 children out of poverty by 2030.
Grassroots organizations are also witnessing the toll.
Junaid Ali, coordinator of Hope 4 Humanity in east London, told Hyphen that lower-income parents often struggle to provide basic needs, including nutritious meals.
Mohammed Kozbar of Finsbury Park Mosque added that the cap exacerbates child poverty in minority communities.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson recently stated the government is “considering” changes to the policy.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves may address the issue during the upcoming spending review on June 11.
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