So it came as a massive surprise to me that not only were we listened to but some of the things we called for – for example, the removal of the cruel two-child limit – were actually implemented.

The language of 'Benefits Street' is a rhetoric completely devoid of compassion. Those using it should hang their heads in shame.

It was a lot. I didn’t realise I’d be placed all over social media. I thought it would be just a couple of pictures for something, but it is what it is now. I have thought about it a lot this morning and I had to put my thoughts down on paper.

Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment, with Sarah Montague.

Spoken at the Resolution Foundation on 12th November 2025

Changing Realities is a project bringing together almost 200 parents and carers across the UK. The project documents what life is like for parents on a low income and, using lived experience, campaigns for the change we need to see.

Sam Richards, a mother and participant of the Changing Realities project, writes about why the two-child limit on benefits should be dropped.

This autumn will see the publication of the first UK child poverty strategy in many years. It is a time-limited and vital opportunity to make real and lasting difference to the lives of the 4.5 million children currently living in poverty. In this new report, co-produced with IPPR, we set out a realistic and targeted agenda for change. Now is the time to take sustainable and effective action on child poverty, working with the everyday experiences of families who know what would make a difference to them and their lives.

This morning, I was invited to a meeting in The House of Lords, along with Changing Realities, two other participants and members from other organisations. The roundtable – chaired by Baroness Ruth Lister and Professor Ruth Patrick – was also attended by other Lords, senior civil servants and Changing Realities funders. We discussed the government’s Child Poverty Strategy, which will hopefully be announced shortly after the budget in November.

The core of our work has not changed, but we have. We have spent, in some cases, years together, uplifting our voices and learning how to be part of a movement for change, and we are proud to be here to represent our work and the people within.