Surviving The School Holidays As a low-income family

For many children, the six-week summer holiday is one of the highlights of the year.

But as a parent on a low income, you probably know just how stressful it can be to feed and entertain your children when school breaks up at the end of term.

The extra cost of food, clothing and keeping the children entertained can stretch an already tight budget.

If you are worried about getting through the summer break financially, or another school holiday, check out the following tips from the Fair For You team.

Create a Budget Specific to the Month

Every month's budget is slightly different, making it important to treat each month individually.

During the school holidays, you will have more costs to manage. Now is the time to carefully add up how much you’ll have, what bills will be going out and ultimately how much you have left to spend.

Checking your bank account regularly using your banking app can help you keep track of spending and avoid unexpected surprises.

Check You're Claiming Everything You're Entitled To

In a previous blog post, we told you how £15 billion worth of benefits are going unclaimed every year. If you haven’t checked what you’re entitled to, or if your circumstances have recently changed, you could be missing out.

Here are some of the top benefits and discounts to check for:

Carer's Allowance - £86.45 a week

Child Benefit - £27.05 per week for your eldest child and £17.90 per week for additional children

Disability benefits – If you or your child has a disability or long-term health condition, you may be entitled to support such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA), depending on your circumstances.

Council Tax Reduction - Use a Council Tax Reduction checker or contact your local council to find out what support is available. 

Free childcare – Eligible working parents may be able to get up to 30 hours of free childcare. Check your eligibility on GOV.UK.

Universal Credit Childcare - If you're eligible for Universal Credit, you may be able to claim back up to 85% of your childcare costs, up to £1,031.88 a month for one child or £1,768.94 for two or more children.

Universal Credit Standard Allowance - The amount you receive depends on your age, circumstances and whether you're claiming as a single person or as a couple. Rates are reviewed each April.

Find Free or Cheap Ways to Keep the Kids Entertained

Expensive theme parks or holidays abroad might not be within your budget. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still entertain the kids with things to keep their minds active and also burn off some energy.

Ideas that don’t have to break the bank include:

• Activity kits
• Baking
• Beach day
• Bike rides
• Board games
• Build a den
• Colouring
• Cooking lessons
• Crafts
• Football in the park
• Learn a new language
• Nature walks
• Online singing or music lessons
• Picnic
• Playground
• Reading
• Story writing
• Teaching your child to swim
• TikTok dances for kids
• Visit free museums
• Volunteering (for kids aged 14+)

It’s also worth checking what’s happening in your local area. This could lead you to find free kids' clubs and other activities that aren’t advertised nationally.

If your children receive benefits-related free school meals, they may also be eligible for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, which provides free activities and healthy meals during the school holidays.

Ask your local authority to find out more.

Affording the Cost of a New School Uniform

A survey by Wynsors found that parents spend between £1,100 and £2,739 on the cost of school uniforms over the 11 years that children attend school.

Supermarkets such as Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's and M&S often have great deals on the cost of essentials such as trousers, skirts and polo shirts.

As a low-income family, here’s what else to look out for this new term:

School uniform grants - Some local councils offer school uniform grants or other financial support, although the amount available varies depending on where you live. Check with your local authority to see what's available.

Second-hand school uniforms – Many schools, charities and community groups now run second-hand uniform exchanges. Ask your child's school or search online to see what's available in your area.

School uniform donation events - Many supermarkets, schools and local charities organise school uniform donation or swap events before the new school year.

Support From Fair For You

If you’re new to us here at Fair For You, then you might not be aware of what we do.

We offer a range of household essentials and flexible finance options to help you spread the cost of important purchases for your family.

Whether you need a new fridge, a washing machine, a bed or other household essentials, our flexible repayment options can help make these purchases more manageable.

Our Food Club Card helps you spread the cost of your weekly food shop, with repayments set at £10 per week. You can also choose which day of the week your repayments are taken to help fit your budget.

Visit our website to explore our products and find out how we may be able to support you. If you have any questions, we're here to help.

Don't Forget Your Own Needs as a Parent

While all the focus of the school holidays naturally goes on the kids, remember it’s also essential for you to take care of yourself as a parent too.

Alongside your physical health, your mental health is equally important.

If you’re struggling to manage your money, we have advice on our website covering debt, accessing food banks and other sources of financial support.

Beyond this, it’s good to reach out to friends, family and even other parents during the holidays.

Keep engaged with the people around you, so that you always have someone to talk to.

Remember that if you find things tough during the holidays, you’re not alone and that help is available.