Children and the two-child limit
Universal Credit pays a child element for each child who lives with you, until the 31 August after their 16th birthday, or after their 19th birthday if they are in eligible education or training — GCSEs, A levels, BTECs, Scottish Highers, SVQs or NVQs up to level 3. Only the main carer can get the child elements, and where parents are separated, DWP decides who that is, normally by where the children spend most of their time.
The child element in 2026/27
| Child | Monthly child element |
|---|---|
| Each child (first child born on or after 6 April 2017, and every later child) | £303.94 |
| First child born before 6 April 2017 | £351.88 (£303.94 plus £47.94) |
| Disabled child addition, lower rate | £164.79 |
| Disabled child addition, higher rate | £514.71 |
The higher disabled-child addition is for a child who gets the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance for children, the higher rate of the daily living part of Personal Independence Payment, or who is blind or severely sight impaired. The lower addition is for a child who gets any other rate of either benefit. Disabled-child additions were never limited by the two-child limit, even before April 2026. Source: GOV.UK Universal Credit guide.
The two-child limit has ended
Between April 2017 and April 2026, Universal Credit paid the child element only for a family's first two children, unless the child was born before April 2017 or an exception applied — multiple births, adoption or kinship care, and children likely to have been born as a result of non-consensual conception. That policy ended on 6 April 2026. GOV.UK guidance, last updated on 21 October 2026, states: "Universal Credit now pays the extra amount for every child, no matter how many children you have." DWP's final statistics release on the policy confirms it was removed for assessment periods beginning on or after 6 April 2026. Families who were previously affected should have seen the increase from their first assessment period on or after that date, with payments following in May or June 2026 depending on their assessment period dates.
What did not change
Two things stayed the same, and both matter. First, the benefit cap did not change: extra child amounts count towards the cap, so a family already at the cap may see little or no increase from the extra child elements. Second, the child element still ends at the 31 August after the 16th or 19th birthday as described above — the change removed a limit on the number of children, not the age rules. And the old exceptions are now history for new assessment periods, not a separate route you need to apply for.
Childcare costs
If you are working, you can claim back up to 85% of registered childcare costs — nurseries, childminders, breakfast clubs, after-school clubs and holiday clubs — up to £1,071.09 a month for one child and £1,836.16 a month for two or more children. If you live with a partner, both of you normally need to be working, unless one of you cannot work because of a disability or health condition. You pay the costs up front and claim them back as part of your payment, and your work coach can discuss support for paying them up front. Source: GOV.UK Universal Credit guide.