- Chancellor’s Autumn budget: abolition of the “two-child benefit cap” from April 2026 families with three or more children will be able to get support for each child under benefits from the government
-> This means a forecasted 350,000 children will be lifted out of poverty in the UK
- Family law reform: This month the UK government has announced major reform to the Families Act 2014 which amended Section 1 of the Children Act 1989. The reform will remove the “presumption of parental involvement” in child contact cases.
-> What this means: In family cases involving children, courts will consider on a case-by-case basis the need for children to have immediate contact with their parents. For example, a history of abusive parents may mean contact with the parents will not be in the best interest of the child.
-> However, this reform is still in early stages and has not been implemented yet
- Broader changes to children’s welfare and care: UK Parliament is currently considering the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
-> The bill involves provisions of extra safeguarding for children in employment, children in care or leaving care and the regulation of independent schools and academies
-> The bill is currently going through the report stage at the House of Lords having been passed by the Commons