Surviving The School Holidays As A Low Income Family
The six week holidays are something the kids look forward to all year round.
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 costs of food, clothing and even things to do can stretch your already tight budget.
If you are worried about getting your finances through the summer break, or another school holiday, check out the following tips from the Fair For You team.
Create A Budget Specific To The Month
Every month your budget is going to be slightly different, making it essential to treat each month as unique.
During the school holidays, you will have more costs to manage. So 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.
Ideally, you should be checking your bank account daily on an app. This will ensure you never get any nasty surprises, and it will allow you to easily track any bills due to leave your account.
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 - £76.75 a week
Child benefit - £25.60 per week for your eldest child and £16.95 per week for additional children
Disability allowance - Up to £108.55 per week
Council tax discount - Up to 50% off your bill (use this council tax discount checker)
Free childcare - Up to 30 hours per week (use this eligibility checker)
Universal credit childcare - You can claim up to 85% of costs back for childcare if you’re on Universal Credit (up to £1,739.37)
Universal credit standard allowance - Up to £393.45 if you are single or up to £617.60 if you live with your partner
Find Free Or Cheap Ways To Keep The Kids Entertained
Expensive theme park tickets or holidays abroad might not be in reach. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still entertain the kids with things to keep their minds active and also get all that energy out.
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.
Another thing to check: Do your kids get free school meals? They could also qualify for the HAF Programme. The HAF programme (Holiday Activities and Food Programme) gives children aged between 5 and 16 access to 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, Sainsburys 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 - Get up to £200 to cover the cost of a new uniform (check with your local council)
Uniform Direct - Uniform Direct has a uniform swap shop which is available right across the UK. If you can’t find a branch near you, check if anyone in your area is running one as they have become very popular in recent years.
Wacky Warehouse - Wacky Warehouse also holds school uniform drives where new or nearly new uniforms are donated to a partner charity in the area. Head to your local branch for information on how to access the donated uniforms.
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 have two types of prepaid cards that allow you to spread the cost of your weekly shop, as well as other items you might need for your family.
These include our Food Club Card and our Shopping Card.
We also have a variety of household goods on our flexible repayment system. So if the fridge breaks over the holidays, or if the kids need a new bed, shopping through us allows you to spread the cost.
Take a look at our website to see all of our products, and let us know if you need further 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 listed advice about the likes of debt, accessing food banks and more on our website.
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.