Local charity Action for Children has warned that many families are being forced to borrow, cut back and make difficult choices over the long summer holiday break in Northern Ireland.
New research commissioned by Nationwide and Action for Children paints a picture of families facing a difficult balancing act – wanting to give their children a fun and fulfilling summer while worrying about how they will afford it.
Polling of 268 respondents across NI – as part of a wider survey of 2,000 parents of school-aged children receiving Universal Credit – found that 99%[1] of local parents surveyed said the cost of living has negatively impacted their plans for the summer holidays.
The financial pressures faced by parents and caregivers over June and July came through strongly in the polling:-
- NI parents’ main money concerns[2] for summer are how to afford days out (54%); pay bills (53%) and provide activities/entertainment for children (52%).
- A quarter (25%) of NI parents surveyed who say the cost of living is going to negatively impact their plans for the summer holidays say they will work more hours over the summer to cover costs and almost a quarter said they have cancelled meeting friends (24%) or avoided plans with extra financial costs due to the cost of living (24%).
- As well as increasing their hours at work, just over a fifth of parents surveyed (21%) said they would have to dip into savings to manage their household costs during the summer holidays.
- Almost all (99%[3]) of respondents currently have some form of debt and more than half of all NI respondents said it’s likely they would have to go into more debt this summer to cover costs. Most (59%[4]) said they would take out a loan or use credit cards (58%4). Meanwhile 56%4 said they were planning to ‘sell something essential or important to them’ to raise funds and 54%4 (144 people) said they would delay paying their mortgage or rent.
- Around a quarter of respondents who said they would take on debt this summer said the money would be used to pay for housing costs (27%), days out/activities (23%); bills (20%) and childcare (19%).
Angela Phillips – Campaigns, Policy and Advocacy Advisor at Action for Children NI – said it’s ‘essential that both the UK Government and the NI Executive address the rising costs of living and give support to local families’.
She added: “From the Executive we need to see the delivery of a robust, cross departmental anti-poverty strategy with clear targets and ring-fenced funding.
“We also need further action on childcare costs – with a focus on making sure that childcare is also accessible and affordable in rural areas. Reinstating the holiday hunger payment, where families of children eligible for free school meals receive support over the summer, would also be welcome as part of a piece of the bigger puzzle.”
In the new research, local parents also expressed concerns around the loss of the school ‘safety net’ over the summer months.
- During term-time, around two-thirds of NI parents surveyed say they are reliant on the support provided by schools, such as free/subsidised meals (69%[5]), childcare so they can work (67%5) and opportunities for their child to have social interaction (66%5) / emotional and wellbeing support (66%5).
- Compared with term time, NI parents are concerned about the negative impact on their child(ren)’s mental health and confidence (15% think it gets worse[6] vs 10% across the UK as a whole).
- Local care givers also expressed concerns about how socially connected their young people will feel over the summer, with 18%6 reporting this issue will be ‘somewhat’ or ‘much’ worse than during term time.
Action for Children says these findings demonstrate why community-based support is so important during the school holidays. Over half (54%[7]) of NI respondents said local support services would be helpful over the summer months.
This year marks two years of Action for Children’s partnership with Nationwide Fairer Futures. The Fairer Futures strategy focuses on tackling some of the UK’s biggest social challenges, including child poverty. The UK’s largest building society invests at least 1% of its pre-tax profits in charitable activities each year, which equated to £21.8 million in 2025/26.
Together, Nationwide Fairer Futures and Action for Children have already helped provide support to more than 140,000 children, young people and parents experiencing poverty or financial hardship.
This includes Nationwide Family Clubs, delivered by Action for Children across the UK, which provide families with access to enriching activities, hot meals, advice and support throughout the holidays, helping reduce isolation and ease some of the financial pressure many parents experience over the summer months.
Lisa McGarvey, Practice Team Leader at Action for Children’s Early Intervention and Family Support Service, explained: “Thanks to the Fairer Futures partnership with Nationwide, our teams have been running Family Clubs across Fermanagh and Omagh since last year. They have been hugely popular with families, with children enjoying a host of wonderful sessions including sensory play, music classes and art activities. As well as providing stimulating experiences for little ones, the groups have also been a great opportunity for parents to get advice and support, as well as socialising and connecting with other parents.
“The current cost-of-living means that these kinds of enriching experiences just aren’t in financial reach of many of the families we support. We know that the summer months can be particularly difficult, as many parents try to juggle childcare and keep their children entertained over the long break. We’re so grateful to Nationwide for their support which has allowed us to create welcoming, safe spaces in our local communities and help us recognise our vision of a safe and happy childhood for every child and young person.”
