Two-child limit has been a ‘significant factor’ in women’s decision to end a pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic

New study from BPAS finds that financial factors played a role in most decisions, with 57 per cent of women who were aware of and likely to be affected by the two-child limit saying it impacted their choice

The two-child limit has been a 'significant factor' in women’s decision to end a pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS).

Research published today by BPAS - based on survey responses from 240 women who had ended a pregnancy since March 2020 and who already had two or more children - found that half (49 per cent) were in receipt of universal credit or tax credits and would therefore be likely to be immediately affected by the two-child limit, and the majority were aware of the two-child limit. Among these women, the majority (57 per cent) said that the policy was important in their decision-making around whether or not to continue the pregnancy.

In addition, the research found that 62 per cent of all women surveyed said that their decision to end their pregnancy was either due to mainly financial factors or a combination of financial and other factors. With many women reporting that their family finances had been adversely affected by the consequences of the pandemic, some said that job insecurity meant that they felt that while they could currently afford to have another child without the guarantee of financial support, they were worried that this may not be the case in the future, and some women felt that the combination of the pandemic and the two-child limit 'forced' them to end a pregnancy that, had their situation been different, they would have wanted.

Warning that unless the two-child policy is revoked, more women will be forced into a corner between financial hardship or ending an otherwise wanted pregnancy, Katherine O’Brien, Associate Director of Campaigns at BPAS, said today -

'As an organisation committed to reproductive choice, at BPAS we advocate for policies and practices that enable women to make their own decisions around preventing, ending, conceiving, or continuing a pregnancy.  Our research provides clear evidence that the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic together with the two-child limit is a significant factor in many women’s decision to end a pregnancy. Given the scale of predicted job losses and long-term economic forecasts, we anticipate that the numbers of women in this incredibly difficult position will only increase.

... When the policy was introduced in 2017, no-one could have predicted the impact it would be having on families in 2020. As ministers repeatedly state, these are truly unprecedented times that require unprecedented measures. If the government does not want to see more women feeling forced into a corner between financial hardship or ending an otherwise wanted pregnancy, they must revoke the two-child limit as a matter of urgency.'

For more information, see Research finds that the two-child limit is a 'significant factor' in women’s decision to end a pregnancy during the pandemic.