More than half of parents fear they will not be able to afford a summer holiday

More than half of UK parents fear they will not be able to afford a holiday this summer, a survey suggests.

As schools break up for the summer, 51% of parents say a holiday is beyond their budget and 52% say they could not stretch to a short break or activities for their children, the poll for Action for Children found.

One in 12 (8%) – an estimated 700,000 families – said they had never been on a family holiday.

Meanwhile, more than a third of parents (36%) 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%) of those on universal credit.

Despite falling inflation and signs of economic growth, a third of parents (32%) believe they will be financially worse off this summer compared to last year.

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Evening Standard on socials:

[Lerieable]

oh please .. I could never afford a holiday for my kids - I used what money I had to feed and clothe them - my parents could never afford holidays for us all either - people have a choice of what they make a priority

[news]

I earn more than enough for a summer holiday, but I have to give it all to my ex-wife as child support. She spends it on tattoos and herself instead of the kids. Child Support should be paid into a central account for both parents to use, not just handed over to the mum to waste.

[alaninsoflo]

Boo hoo. I never had a proper holiday until I was in my 20s. A day out to go to the seaside isn't a holiday.

[DennisHughes-hb]

I never, ever had a holiday with my parents. I don’t care what people say, this Country is never like what it used to be. My parents could not afford it and we were not the only ones. Tell me something? It would be interesting to know how many of these people who claim to be in poverty can afford to smoke as I see them and stop in the coffee shop though only two hundred mtrs from home. Not forgetting the Sky Dish they have and the 50 inch TV. Benefit at one time was only payable for something like eight weeks and then nothing. I think the expectations from a younger generation today is that they expect to have everything on hand and will not compromise and go without anything. How times have changed.