Summer savings: How to help your people through the season

The summer holiday gap isn't a parenting problem, it's a system problem: For six weeks, the school closes but the bills don't. Parents have to work, childcare has to be paid for, and the financial pressure builds in ways that feel like a personal failure when it’s actually the result of an unsustainable system. 

I've spent 16 years in financial wellbeing. I've sat with families managing these exact costs. The stress is real and it follows people into work, affecting how they show up, how they focus, and how they feel about themselves. 

The numbers reveal a stark story. According to research from Coram Family and Childcare, childcare costs alone can exceed £191 per week for a single child during the school break. For a typical six-week summer holiday, that's over £1,100 just for supervised care while parents go to work. 

Add in the rest of what a summer actually costs, and a working parent with one child has to cover: 

Childcare (six weeks on average): £1,145 
Meals and snacks (estimate): £300 to £600 
Activities and days out (estimate): £300 to £900 
Clothes and shoes (estimate): £100 to £300 
Travel (estimate): £100 to £300 

Total: £2,000 to £3,600 per child 

That's not a holiday splurge – it’s the cost of keeping life running when school isn't there to help. 

Working parents across the UK know this challenge is real. Coram’s research found that holiday club provision is inconsistent, and parents without family support nearby have no choice but to pay for the gaps in the school calendar. 

For many households, this pressure translates to real sacrifice. Parents cut back on everyday essentials to cover holiday costs. Some postpone their own needs entirely, and for those already managing financial vulnerability, the summer months can feel impossible. 

It has a huge impact on working parents. According to research by PGL Adventures, 45% of working parents experience burnout trying to juggle childcare and work during the school holidays. The impact also stretches to the workplace, with 53% unable to fully concentrate on their job and a third say the juggle is having a direct impact on their ability to do their job.  

When employees are trying to manage this level of pressure, productivity drops and engagement suffers. The summer may be short, but its impact on your people lasts long after September starts. 

The government's Great British Summer Savings scheme runs until 1 September 2026 and addresses part of the problem. Temporary VAT reductions from 20% to 5% apply to family attractions, children's cinema and theatre tickets, and children's meals in restaurants. Free bus travel for children aged 5 to 15 is also available throughout August in England. 

It's a meaningful move. Those VAT reductions translate to real savings: Advance theme park tickets now start at £29.75 instead of £34, and a family cinema trip drops from £32 to £28.50. Children's meals at participating restaurants cost less and free bus travel removes another cost barrier for families planning days out. 

These savings matter, but they don't help employees who are already stretched before they even get there. A 15% discount on a theme park ticket is welcome, but it doesn't address the underlying reality: for many working parents, a theme park trip simply isn't in the budget at all, even with VAT relief.  

The scheme is for a limited time, but everyday costs, childcare pressures and financial stress will last beyond the summer months. This is where a good benefits package can make a meaningful difference. 

With Perkbox, employees access discounts and offers on the things they're actually spending money on over the summer: days out, food, travel, everyday essentials, and more. But the real value lies in stacking these savings together. 

A family day out with Perkbox looks like this: A discounted coffee and breakfast on the way there, making savings at the entry gate, a day of fun followed by discounted dinner out, before stopping on the way home for a quick supermarket shop with cash back. Each saving feels small on its own, but together, they add up to the difference between "we can afford this" and "we can't." 

Perkbox members access discounts with major trusted brands, cashback on purchases large and small, and local gift cards for towns, cities, and tourist destinations across the UK.

Financial stress during the summer holidays isn't about parenting or time management. The gap between school calendars and working patterns exists for thousands of families every year. Government support is temporary, and childcare is expensive and inconsistent. Parents are left managing the shortfall. 

A good benefits package acknowledges this reality and doesn't lecture employees about budgeting or willpower. It provides practical, accessible help that supports people, no matter their circumstances. For employers, offering that support is an investment in wellbeing, retention, and how your people show up at work. 

This summer, help your people make it through without the financial stress. With Perkbox employers can give their people layered discounts across childcare, food, activities, and essentials. These go beyond a “perk” - they're real tools that work. 

And when you remove that pressure, your people show up to work with more focus and better engagement. 

See what Perkbox can do for your employees.