Start of school holidays bring financial worry for parents
As the school summer holidays get underway, new research by the national charity Turn2us reveals the financial pressures parents will face during the six-week break.
The findings show that over a third (36%) of parents are worried about the impact of the summer holidays on their ability to pay household bills and expenses, whilst over two-fifths (42%) are concerned about spending more money on food for their children during this time.
In addition, over a fifth (22%) of parents are worried about the additional childcare costs they may incur during the holidays, and as a result of these costs, one in six (15%) say they will have to borrow money through credit cards, overdrafts or loans over the summer.
Turn2us is encouraging parents who are struggling to check their eligibility for additional financial support. The charity’s free and confidential website – Turn2us.org.uk includes information on help with childcare costs and other support available to parents. It features a Benefits Calculator for people to check their entitlement to welfare benefits and tax credits and how to make a claim, and a Grants Search to check eligibility for a grant and other support from over 3,000 charitable funds.
Simon Hopkins, Chief Executive of Turn2us said: “The extra financial costs that the school summer holidays bring will create added pressure for families who are already struggling with the costs of housing, food and other essential bills.
“Yet we know that people aren’t always claiming the support available to them, and shockingly, the latest statistics show that around £16 billion in welfare benefits goes unclaimed each year*. With 88% of parents who do claim saying the extra support has had a positive financial impact, we would urge families struggling to make ends meet to visit our website to see what help could be available. It could make all the difference this summer and beyond.”
