Mum Forced to Abort Baby Due to New Universal Credit Rules

A woman has claimed that new Universal Credit rules forced her into having an abortion, after finding out that the government no longer pays out child tax credit - and the child element of universal credit - for more than two children.

She found out almost half way through her pregnancy, which she felt she had to terminate as she was unable to provide for another child without help.

The rule, which has been condemned by many, including women's rights organisations and child poverty campaigners, applies to babies born after 6 April 2017.

In an interview with the Mirror, the woman - who is known only as Sally, as her real name has not been used - opened up about her experience.

"I knew we couldn't do it to the children already born and we couldn't do it to the unborn child," Sally said.

"We thought we could make it work somehow but, honestly, even if we both got a job and 85 percent of our childcare paid for we still could not afford childcare let alone food."

While the pregnancy wasn't planned as such, Sally and her partner were 'very happy' to be having a third child.

She continued: "I was four months along and planning what other things we would need to buy for this baby, and then my friend said any child born after 2017 you will not get any extra money for.

"I said 'that cannot possibly be true'."

Turn2us, a charity that helps people both understand and access welfare benefits, recently tweeted to say that it had spotted a 'worrying trend' of similar cases, with many women getting in touch to say that they may have to terminate their pregnancies because of their benefits entitlement.

For Sally's termination, she had to have a general anaesthetic and an operation, as the pregnancy was four months along.

"I was crying when they wheeled me in," she said.

"They kept asking 'are you sure you want to do this?' and I couldn't even answer, I just had to nod my head."

She added: "I think it's something I will never forgive myself for. I know I should have prevented it from happening in the first place.

"My partner was devastated but he tried not to show any emotion because I was so upset.

"He also couldn't come with me as he had to look after our children so I went alone."

Clare Murphy, director of external affairs at abortion provider the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, told the Mirror: "Financial pressures, job or housing insecurity are often among key reasons for women deciding to end an unwanted pregnancy.

"But the third child benefit cap is more than that because it penalises those already in the most challenging financial circumstances - and as anti-poverty campaigners have noted, it breaks what has been a fundamental link between need and the provision of support, and also discriminates against children simply because of the order they were born in."

Sally added: "The Government does not value my right to a family at all or my family. I'm being penalised for being born poor.

"I have two sons but I've been denied the chance to have a daughter unless we live in complete and utter poverty.

"I'm disgusted by the Government. I think a two-child limit is sick and disgusting." 

A Government spokesperson told the Mirror: "This policy ensures fairness between claimants and those who support themselves solely through work. We've always been clear the right exceptions are in place and consulted widely on them."