THOUSANDS of children in Britain could be lifted out of poverty with a “lock” on child-related spending by the government, a charity study revealed today. 

This “double lock” or child lock on child benefit for most families — similar to the pensions lock — and social security payments for children from low-income backgrounds, as of 2025, would see 40,000 fewer children in poverty in a decade, according to Save the Children.

If coupled with scrapping the two-child limit and benefits cap, the figure would be 80,000, the charity said.

The proposal to ensure children’s benefits are raised in line with inflation or average earnings, whichever of the two figures is higher, has been shared with the Treasury and the Labour government’s Child Poverty Taskforce ahead of next week’s Budget.

Four teenagers who contributed to the report will also hand it into Downing Street today.  

Report author Meghan Meek O’Connor said: “No wealthy nation that is intent on growth can continue to have a child poverty rate this high.

“We are presenting a practical solution to the UK government to lock in children’s spending based on a past success story.

“Child poverty is not bad luck, it is driven by systemic failure and political decisions.

“There is a chance now to start afresh and bring lasting change for children by protecting what is spent on them.”

Ms Meek O’Connor said that the government must raise spending on children by inflation or average earnings, and scrap the two- child limit and benefits cap.

The child lock on social security payments would cover child benefit, the child element of universal credit, and the disabled children’s element, costing about £6 billion a year.

Labour published its development strategy for tackling child poverty today, saying that the government’s “plans to make work pay, get Britain working, bring down the cost of energy, make housing more affordable, and expand access to childcare will all be critical to our goals on child poverty.”

National Education Union general secretary Daniel Kebede welcomed the government’s commitment to reverse the trend of increasing child poverty, but said: “While this strategy is vital, it will take time.

“The government must not wait to scrap the cruel and ineffective two-child limit, which will lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty overnight.”