More than 500,000 children have seen their family's income slashed by the Tories' "nasty" two-child cap on benefits.
Official figures today revealed 156,540 households have been refused benefits for a third or other child in the first two years of the austerity crackdown.
Between them, those families have 592,000 children sharing the burden.
And more than half (59%) of those affected have a job - shattering Tory claims that the cap would force benefit claimants to make the same choices as families in work.
Today's figures show 6,680 households have been given exemptions to the cut - these can include parents who've had unexpected twins or adopted, or kids who'd otherwise be in care.
But 510 of those exempted were women who filled out a four-page form to show their child was born of rape or a "controlling or coercive relationship".
The figure sparked fresh anger at the 'rape clause', which campaigners say is insensitive and makes women relive their trauma.
The 'two-child' limit was pioneered by welfare-slashing former Chancellor George Osborne and took force under Theresa May in April 2017.
It stops parents claiming Child Tax Credits or Universal Credit for more than two children - a cut of up to £2,780 per child - if the kids are born on or after 6 April 2017.
Last month a study for the Child Poverty Action Group withdrawing them from swimming lessons and school trips or being left unable to cover gas and electric bills.
"Several" women told researchers they had considered abortions.
Today's figures show 40% of people hit by the two-child cap are single parents and more than half have a job (59%).
Tory welfare chief Amber Rudd scrapped a planned extension of the cut this year, which would have affected children born before April 2017 retrospectively.
But it will still affect 1.8million children by 2023/24, including siblings in affected households,
CPAG chief executive Alison Garnham said: "Today’s figures are a grim reminder of the human cost of this nasty policy.
"[It] says that some children are more deserving than others purely on the basis of their birth order - and which mostly affects working families.
"In the UK we would never turn a third-born child away from school or hospital.
"How can it be right to deny the same young children the support they need to enjoy a childhood free from poverty when their family falls on hard times?"
She added: “The two-child limit undermines family life and leaves children without support in their vital early years, when the foundations are being laid for their future development.
"The government should lift the two-child limit to help all children thrive."
SNP MP Alison Thewliss, who has campaigned against the limit, said the figures "paint a bleak picture" of families suffering financially under the "grim" and "pernicious" policy.
She added: "Across the UK, the majority of those who have been affected by the two-child limit are in work and receiving low income.
"[This] highlights the inaccuracy of the UK Government’s position of pitting working people against those on benefits."
Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd previously refused calls to scrap the two-child limit - and defended the 'rape clause' saying it was carried out with "compassion".
She said in January: "There are plenty of people on very low incomes who have to consider how many children they're going to have in order to build their family.
"I feel it's fair people on benefits should have to consider the same principles as well."
On the 'rape clause' she added: "I've been through the form myself and talked to the department about whether we've got it right. I believe we have.
"The form requires a third party, probably Women's Aid or Refuge, to join with the woman who is filling in the form. But otherwise apart from that it's almost a self-declaration.
"We haven't turned down any application that's come through that route."
The policy is administered by both DWP and HMRC. A government spokesman said: “This policy ensures fairness by asking families receiving benefits to face the same financial choices as families supporting themselves solely through work.
"Safeguards are in place and we’ve made changes this year to make the policy fairer.”
