Over half of UK parents fear no holiday or short break this summer due to money worries
With school canteens closed, a third worry about providing three meals a day for their children.
With the summer break underway for school pupils up and down the UK, new polling by Action for Children suggests the cost of living crisis is far from over for millions of their parents, as they battle to cover the extra costs of the holidays.
The charity commissioned Savanta to survey 2,000 UK parents earlier this month, and found over half (51%) are concerned they won’t be able to afford a holiday this summer, or even a short break or activities for their children (52%). One in twelve (8%) – an estimated 700,000 families – reported they’d never been on a family holiday.
Meanwhile, more than a third (36%) of parents are concerned their child could experience an “unhealthy holiday” in terms of nutrition and physical health due to a lack of money, with this figure rising to nearly half (47%) for those on Universal Credit.
Despite falling inflation and signs of economic growth, a third (32%) of parents believe they will be financially worse off this summer compared to last year. Balancing work and family life was a huge concern among the parents polled, with over half (55%) concerned they won’t be able to spend as much time together as a family due to work commitments, and over a quarter (27%) reporting they plan to take time off work as unpaid leave or take time off sick to provide childcare. A further 7% reported they may even have to quit their job to look after their children this summer.
The financial pressures are taking an emotional toll too, with the vast majority of parents who say their finances are worse this year than last (88%) reporting they feel guilty for not being able to afford to do things with their children over the summer. Of these, nearly three-quarters (73%) said they will have to put on a brave face over the break, despite being worried about money issues.
And with school canteens closed, a third (32%) of parents are concerned about providing three meals a day for their children over the summer break, and more than a quarter (26%) worry they will need to use a foodbank to feed their children while they’re off school.
Unsurprisingly, the pressures on low-income families were far greater across all the measures of financial difficulty. The proportion of parents on Universal Credit concerned about issues like debt, feeding their children and having a holiday away was, on average, 17 percentage points higher than parents not on Universal Credit.
Paul Carberry, chief executive of Action for Children, said:
"Every year, our frontline workers see the financial and emotional strain the summer holidays can have on families, particularly those on low-incomes.
"With more mouths to feed, clothes to wash and typically less in savings, families with children are especially vulnerable to financial shocks like the added costs of the summer holidays. Essential support like free school meals may not be available, leisure activity costs rise and parents have to juggle work and childcare.
"With the new government, we have the opportunity to rethink how we support families through tough times. With proper investment in public services and in the social safety net, more children will thrive and enjoy the summer holidays, and more parents will be able to take an important break from work.
"We urge policy makers to put children at the forefront of their decision making, and boost family incomes by scrapping the two-child limit and benefit cap as well as increasing the child element of Universal Credit by £15 a week."
If you’re a parent struggling this summer, Action for Children has a free online 1-2-1 chat service, Parent Talk, where you can talk to trained parenting coaches for any advice or support.
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT:
Huw Beale, Action for Children: 07718 114 038 / [email protected]
Out of hours: 020 3124 0661 / [email protected]
NOTES TO EDITORS
Savanta interviewed 2,021 UK parents of children aged 0-18 between 2nd and 9th July 2024. Savanta is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Full data available on request.
About Action for Children
Action for Children protects and supports vulnerable children and young people by providing practical and emotional care and support, ensuring their voices are heard and campaigning to bring lasting improvements to their lives. With 426 services across the UK, in schools and online, in 2022/23 we helped 765,905 children, young people and families.
Keep up to date with Action for Children!
Sign up to our newsletter