Parents of under-fives may be exempted from UK’s two-child benefit limit

Ministers are also said to be looking at exempting parents of disabled children and those in work, and raising child benefit for parents of young children. Photograph: Elena Vagengeym/Alamy

Parents of under-fives could be exempted from the government’s two-child benefit limit under a range of options UK ministers are considering as they try to bring down child poverty numbers without removing the rule altogether.

Ministers are trying to find ways to alleviate the impact of the two-child limit for universal credit or child tax credit, which was imposed by the Conservatives in 2017, without spending £3.6bn to remove it entirely, according to those briefed on the discussions.