More than 40 celebrities including Arelene Phillips, Mark Bonnar, Jason Isaacs and Bill Nighy have joined forces to call for the 'cruel' two-child benefit limit to be scrapped
17:44, 14 Nov 2025
More than 40 celebrities including Arlene Phillips, Mark Bonnar, Jason Isaacs and Bill Nighy have joined forces to call for the “cruel” two-child benefit limit to be scrapped in the Budget.
In a letter to Keir Starmer, organised by foodbank charity Trussell, they wrote: “ We are writing to implore that you fully remove the cruel two-child limit which is pushing 109 more children into hardship every single day. Ending it is the right thing to do – we need you to do it now.
"The two-child limit, which restricts support from the social security system to two children, even when their parents can work, is punishing children for their existence and pushing families to food banks. We cannot stand by while this continues to happen.”
Other signatories include actors Simon Pegg, Stanley Tucci and Jodie Whittaker; comedians Romesh Ranganathan, Aisling Bea and James Acaster; and chefs Levi Roots and Tom Kerridge. Footballers Tyrone Mings and Kalvin Phillips have also signed.
Reggae Reggae sauce creator Roots, who grew up living in poverty and on benefits, told The Mirror : “I know what it’s like to face hunger and hardship. It’s shameful that in 2025 families continue to struggle to feed their children.
“If the government are serious about lifting children out of poverty they need to fully scrap the two-child limit. If we all shout with one voice, we can make change happen and lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.”
Roots, who moved to London from Jamaica as a child, previously told the London Post: “I grew up in the seventies in Lambeth and so I know what it’s like to be hungry – I think everyone around me was hungry,” he said.
“I grew up on benefits and it felt shameful – no one wants to rely on hand-outs – you would rather work yourself out of poverty, but you’ve got to have the tools to do that.”
Actor Mark Bonnar, who recently starred in BBC ’s Celebrity Traitors, said the welfare system “punishes kids for having brothers and sisters”.
“Our social security system should be protecting families who don’t have enough money for the essentials,” he said.
“Instead it’s punishing the most vulnerable in society. The two-child limit is pushing families to food banks and literally punishes kids for having brothers and sisters.
“If the government are serious about tackling child poverty in the UK then remove the two-child limit. Removing the cap would lift 470,000 children out of poverty.”
Actress Anna Maxwell Martin, who featured in BBC sitcom Motherland, said: “There’s shocking levels of child poverty in the UK and the two-child limit is pushing more children into hardship every day.
“The UK government promised to end the need for emergency food. We need them to act now and fully remove the two-child limit. It’s the most effective way to protect children from hunger and give them the best start in life.”
Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves both gave clear signs this week that the two-child benefit limit will be ditched in the November 26 statement.
Ms Reeves has said she does not think children should be "penalised" for being part of large families, while Mr Starmer insisted he is "determined to drive child poverty down".
The Tory-era two-child benefit limit - which came into effect in 2017 - restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister said he was personally determined to drive down rates of child poverty, which currently stands at a staggering 4.5million.
He promised a "number of measures" will be unveiled to tackle the issue when the Chancellor delivers the long-awaited Budget on November 26.
"I can tell you in no uncertain terms I am determined to drive child poverty down. It is what the last Labour government did, and it's one of the things we were proudest of," he said. "I am personally determined that is what we're going to do. You won't have to wait much longer to see what the measures are.
"Some of them are already in place, the free school meals, the breakfast clubs, free childcare are all part of it. But look, we need to do more than that. And I can look you in the eye and tell you I am personally committed to driving down child poverty."
And on Monday, Ms Reeves said it was not right that a "child is penalised because they are in a bigger family”.
In their letter, the celebrities add: “Removing the two-child limit is the most effective way to protect children from hunger, give them a decent start in life, and help them reach their potential - there is no time to waste in a child’s life.
“It is your duty to act on your commitment to tackling child poverty - we need you to fully remove the two-child limit now.”
A Government spokesman said: “Food bank use across the country went down last year but we are committed to every child, no matter their background, having the best start in life. That’s why our Child Poverty Taskforce will publish an ambitious strategy to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty.
“We are investing £500million in children’s development through the rollout of Best Start Family Hubs, extending free school meals and ensuring the poorest don’t go hungry in the holidays through a new £1billion crisis support package.” Labour's Child Poverty Strategy is due to be published this Autumn.
Letter and signatories in full:
Dear Prime Minister,
We are writing to implore that you fully remove the cruel two-child limit which is pushing 109 more children into hardship every single day. Ending it is the right thing to do – we need you to do it now.
The two-child limit, which restricts support from the social security system to two children, even when their parents can work, is punishing children for their existence and pushing families to food banks. We cannot stand by while this continues to happen.
Millions more people are facing hunger than a couple of years ago, and families with children are at particularly high risk. 4 in 10 families with 3 or more children face hunger, around twice as high as the rate for families with one or two children and almost 1 in 3 (29%) food bank parcels provided by the Trussell community go to families with three or more children, despite them making up just 11% of the UK population. This is not right.
Every week, food banks meet parents who’ve been doing everything they can to protect their children from hunger. Skipping meals for weeks so there’s enough for the kids to eat, making games out of wrapping up in blankets to avoid turning on the heating, trying to pretend everything’s okay – but it’s not okay.
Removing the two-child limit is the most effective way to protect children from hunger, give them a decent start in life, and help them reach their potential - there is no time to waste in a child’s life. It is your duty to act on your commitment to tackling child poverty - we need you to fully remove the two-child limit now.
Yours sincerely,
Simon Pegg
Bill Nighy
Mark Bonnar
Jason Manford
Stanley Tucci
Joely Richardson
Kalvin Phillips
Jodie Whittaker
Anna Maxwell Martin
Christopher Eccleston
Tyrone Mings
Romesh Ranganathan
Si King
Charlotte Ritchie
Tom Grennan
Aisling Bea
Ben Willbond
James Acaster
Miquita Oliver
Levi Roots
Tom Kerridge
Becky Hill
Brian Cox (Actor)
Rosemary Shrager
Adam Buxton
Jason Isaacs
Julie Graham
Charlie Cooper
Lydia West
Arabella Weir
Arlene Phillips
Kellie Shirley
Glenn Tilbrook
Daisy Haggard
Suzi Ruffell
Rosie Jones
Mark Hoyle (Ladbaby)
Rox Hoyle (Ladybaby)
Teacher Tommy T (Teacher and content creator)
Dr Emeka Okorocha (Doctor and content creator)
Mike Rosenberg (Passenger)
Armando Iannucci