Royal Assent on 18 March 2026 brought into law the Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Act 2026, which repeals the statutory cap that restricted the child element of Universal Credit to two children. The reform applies across Great Britain and Northern Ireland through mirrored provisions and restores entitlement in line with the core Universal Credit framework as set out in primary and secondary legislation.
For Great Britain, the Act removes section 10(1A) of the Welfare Reform Act 2012, the clause that enacted the two‑child limit, and deletes the related cross‑reference in section 10(4). Consequential amendments are made to section 14 of the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016, and regulation 24(1) of the Universal Credit Regulations 2013 is adjusted to reflect the removal of the limit.
In addition, the Great Britain regulations that created and administered exceptions to the cap are revoked. Specifically, regulation 24A, regulation 24B and Schedule 12 of the Universal Credit Regulations 2013 are removed, as they were made under the now‑repealed power to provide for exceptions to the two‑child limit.
For Northern Ireland, the changes mirror those in Great Britain. Article 15(1A) of the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015, which contained the two‑child limit, is repealed alongside the related cross‑reference in Article 15(4). Linked provisions in the Welfare Reform and Work (Northern Ireland) Order 2016 and regulation 25(1) of the Universal Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 are amended accordingly.
The Northern Ireland regulations establishing exceptions are also revoked. Regulation 25A, regulation 25B and Schedule 12 of the Universal Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 are removed because the underlying limit they qualified has been repealed. Substantively, the policy position is now aligned across the UK, delivered through separate legal instruments.
Commencement is tied to the Universal Credit assessment cycle. The Act specifies that the amendments take effect for assessment periods beginning on or after 6 April 2026. Where an assessment period begins before that date, the change will not bite until the next monthly period that starts on or after 6 April 2026.
The Act separates extent from commencement. Section 1 extends to England, Wales and Scotland; section 2 extends to Northern Ireland; and the general extent and commencement provisions apply UK‑wide. Sections 1 and 2 come into force on 6 April 2026, while the extent and commencement section took effect on 18 March 2026.
Transitional and saving powers are included to manage implementation. The Secretary of State may make provision by statutory instrument in connection with the commencement of section 1, and the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland may do likewise by statutory rule in connection with section 2. These powers allow for orderly administration where claims or decisions straddle the change.
For claimants, the practical effect is that the child element of Universal Credit will no longer be capped at two children for assessment periods starting on or after 6 April 2026. Households will not need to meet exception criteria for third or subsequent children once the change applies to their assessment period.
The legislation does not provide for retrospective adjustments to periods that start before 6 April 2026. Entitlement for those earlier periods remains governed by the previous law, including any exception determinations made under the now‑revoked provisions. The Act, as published on legislation.gov.uk, provides the operative legal text and timelines.