THOUSANDS of children in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are in families affected by a limit on child allowance benefits, estimates suggest.

The two-child limit restricts child allowances in universal credit and tax credits (worth £2,935 per year) to the first two children in a family unless the children were born before April 6, 2017, when the policy came into force.

The Child Poverty Action Group is calling for the policy, which it says pushes families into poverty, to be scrapped by the Government.

Department for Work and Pensions figures show 1,810 households with three or more children in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole were receiving Universal Credit in April, and 1,450 received Child Tax Credits, 3,260 in total.

CPAG estimate this means there are 5,430 children in families affected by the policy, among 1.2 million across Great Britain.

It says the two-child limit is one of the biggest drivers of rising child poverty, and its impact will intensify as living costs surge.

Alison Garnham, chief executive of the charity, said the first instalment of the £650 cost-of-living emergency payment is not enough to stop the policy pushing families deeper into poverty.

She added: "The two child-limit is piling on the pain for affected families.

"One in 12 children are taking the consequences of this brutal policy – their health, development and well-being are being jeopardised.

"If every child matters, not just some, the policy must be abolished."

The DWP said over eight million households on benefits will receive the first instalment of the £650 Cost of Living payment, with millions getting at least £1,200 in extra support.

A spokesman said: “This policy means families on benefits are asked to make the same financial decisions as families supporting themselves solely through work, including considering our comprehensive childcare offer for working parents and child benefit for all children."