This guidance will help you in conversations with claimants who may be affected by the Universal Credit 2 child policy before April 2026.
Before 6 April 2026, Universal Credit claimants could not claim payment for a third child or any subsequent children who are born on or after 6 April 2017. Some exceptions applied according to an individual’s circumstances.
This guidance explains the rules and exceptions that apply if claimants had more than 2 children before April 2026.
This stakeholder guidance covers the following topics: