Twins Trust's State of the Nation research is a groundbreaking piece of research which examines the experiences of parents and families experiencing multiple births.

The research was commissioned by Twins Trust and written by Per Capita, an independent public policy think tank. It contains an analysis of how different OECD countries treat multiple birth families, a survey of over 1,800 UK parents of multiples, an examination of the extant twins and multiples research and an evaluation of how the situation has changed for families with multiples over time.

The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the experience of having multiples in the UK. These experiences offer valuable insights for policymakers, healthcare providers, parents and social support systems, aiming to enhance the wellbeing and support of families with multiples in the UK and beyond.

Download report summary

Download full report

 

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Take action

We're campaigning for fairer maternity pay for multiples. Play your part by emailing your MP to help this vital issue get raised in Parliament.

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Key findings

Raising twins, triplets or more is more difficult in the UK than almost any other advanced OECD economy, particularly because there is so little additional support.

£20k

financial hit

in the first year after birth for families having multiples, compared with having two babies in succession

15%

decline

in families' household income, around £12,500, in the first year after birth

72%

of families

having multiples had to buy a new car to accommodate their children

89%

of parents

said the current childcare provision is inadequate and does not meet the needs of families with multiples

84%

of families

had one or more parent experiencing emotional or psychological challenges in the first year after birth

3

years post-pregnancy

the emotional impact of having multiples continues into the third year post-pregnancy, with parents today feeling less supported than their counterparts in previous decades

 

Exclusive member-only content
Members of Twins Trust can access the recording of a live webinar in which the author of our State of the Nation research, Michael D'Rosario, discussed the findings with our Chief Executive, Shauna Leven, and took questions from attendees. Sign-up as a member today, or if you are already a member sign-in, to access the webinar.

 

 

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Key recommendations from the report - how to change the maternity landscape  

The report recommends significant uplifts to the levels of financial and emotional support for families who've had multiples. Our first major campaign focuses on fairer maternity pay, whilst we're addressing the other recommendations behind-the-scenes with government and key stakeholders.

  • Fairer maternity pay: The report recommends increasing the financial support for families with multiples. This could change to be maternity pay per baby, rather than per pregnancy, or an expansion of the Sure Start Maternity Grant. Join us in taking action - email your MP to help this vital issue get raised in Parliament.
     

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  • Additional mental health support: More support is provided, which acknowledges the significant additional challenges of parenting multiples.
  • Extra care support: An allocation of hours of care for families with multiples.