AS MANY as 1.3 million children could miss out on holiday support despite living in a household that is receiving Universal Credit, the Children’s Society estimated in a report released on Monday.
In the report, Walking Into Nothing: The hidden cost of the school holidays for families, the charity suggested that around 39 per cent of school-age children in Universal Credit households — 1.3 million children — would be eligible for free school meals under changes to the criteria, but would still be excluded from the Government’s Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF).
From September, the Government is extending free school meals to all children whose parents receive Universal Credit, regardless of whether the household earns more than the old threshold, £7,400 a year (News, 5 June 2025). Yet the HAF programme is still only available to children who meet the previous, stricter, criteria.
The Children’s Society said that this created an “arbitrary two-tier system” and that the Department for Education (DfE) risked “introducing more confusion into an already under-accessed but important system”.
The CEO of the charity, Mark Russell, said: “No child should leave the school gates at the end of term and feel they are walking into nothing.”
The charity conducted a UK-wide survey of 3,000 parents of school-aged children aged four to 16, exploring their experiences in the February 2026 half-term. It also held a “scoping session” with young people, which asked them about their perceptions of school holidays. A freedom of information (FOI) request was submitted to gather data from local authorities, and the charity said that it had also gained “insights from practitioners delivering or commissioning HAF sessions”.
Of the parents surveyed, 57 per cent said that they found the school holidays “stressful from a financial perspective”. For parents receiving Universal Credit, this rises to 66 per cent.
Additionally, 77 per cent of parents said that they were worried about holiday activity costs, 65 per cent were worried about food costs, 59 per cent were worried about transport, and 49 per cent were worried about childcare.
One parent said: “I do think there are a lot of hidden costs in the holidays that I think can’t be really fixed with just a free day out.” Transport was one of the listed hidden costs, particularly for those who lived in rural areas.
Sixty-four per cent of parents said that holidays cost more this year than last year, and 41 per cent said that they were “not confident” that they could afford the next school holiday. That figure rose to 53 per cent among parents receiving Universal Credit.
To help save money, 35 per cent of parents “bought cheaper or less food”, 27 per cent “skipped meals themselves”, and ten per cent used a foodbank.
Twenty-three per cent of the parents surveyed worked extra shifts to cover school holiday costs, while 33 per cent of parents used their savings. Twenty-four per cent relied on credit products or borrowed money from friends and family, but 28 per cent said that their child had “missed activities” because of costs.
Mr Russell described the findings of the survey as “stark”.
“Families across the UK are struggling to manage the additional costs that come with school holidays, with many lacking confidence in their ability to afford even the next break,” he said. “Too often, parents are forced to rely on savings, take on debt or use a foodbank. This is not a sustainable or acceptable position for any family.”
The Children’s Society has urged the Government to act. Mr Russell said that he wanted the Government to “align eligibility for HAF with expanded free school meals” and to “strengthen provision for teenagers so they have access to suitable, affordable, and meaningful activities and experiences”.
childrenssociety.org.uk