NEW research shows that 43% of parents are worried the summer holidays will put them into financial difficulty warns The Salvation Army.
In the East of England, 38% of parents expressed this concern.
13% of parents reported being very worried they would not be able to afford essentials like food and utility bills, this drops to 11% in the East of England
Of those parents who were worried, when asked what could push parents into financial difficulty:
•
half of all ‘worried respondents’ (50%) cited the cost of school uniforms,
•
3 in 10 (29%) of the same group said they
are worried they won’t be able to afford food because they rely on free school meals during term time.
17% of ‘worried parents’ across the UK were also concerned that taking unpaid leave would put them into financial difficulty.
Unsurprisingly, those on the lowest incomes (less than £14,999 pa*) were most worried about falling into financial difficulty over the summer – but working parents
across the UK are also struggling to make ends meet:
·
A quarter of all ‘worried parents’ in work (25%) were concerned about the cost of food over summer
·
Almost 1 in 5 (19%) ‘worried parents’ in work were concerned about taking unpaid leave to cover the cost of childcare
Major Nick Coke of The Salvation Army said: “Every summer, Salvation Army offices see the strain that summer has on families as essential support like school dinners
are suspended and they also face school uniform bills.
“Despite statutory guidance for schools on affordable school uniforms, every year we are seeing greater demand for our uniform banks with parents telling us that
even ‘affordable’ uniforms are not an option if you have no money.
“As the new Government considers the next budget, a priority must be to ensure that at the very least, benefits cover the cost of essentials to make sure no child
goes hungry at any time.
“However, we don’t want children to just survive summer with three square meals and uniform that fits for the new term; we want them to thrive, play, explore and
relax. Children being able to enjoy the summer should not be a luxury which is why The Salvation Army runs summer camps, play groups, drop-ins and other summer activities. Children get to spread their wings and struggling parents get a little but much needed
break too.”
Parents across the UK were also asked what would ease the strain during the school holidays:
·
46% said vouchers or extra cash payments to help replace free school meals, dropping to 45% in the East of England
·
55% want school uniforms to be more affordable, compared to 60% in the East of England
·
53% want more affordable childcare – 53% in the East of England also said this
·
46% want to make sure benefits cover the cost of living, dropping to 40% in the East of England
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from a poll commissioned by The Salvation Army by YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 4234 adults. Regional sample size
was 122 for the referenced questions. Fieldwork was undertaken between 21st – 25th June 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
