Parents face the most expensive summer yet as UK holiday club prices rise

Whilst children welcome the break from the busy school term, parents are grappling with the harsh reality of expensive holiday clubs, writes Travel News Blitz’s Emily Hodson.

A study by Coram Family and Childcare, released on July 16 this year, found that UK families will have to pay an average of £191 per child a week in a holiday club. 

This is an increase of 5% from 2025. 

On average, holiday clubs will cost £1,145 per child over the six-week break in 2026. 

Amidst continuous cost of living pressures, families have little choice but to reconsider crucial childcare that they have long since relied upon. 

Head of Coram Family and Childcare, Lydia Hodges, argued that holiday clubs are “the missing piece of the puzzle” and are vital in the ongoing battle to ease financial pressure on parents. 

Why is it so expensive? 

The Coram study outlined that support structures such as breakfast clubs and free childcare for pre-school children (depending on eligibility) have received more financial investment from the government. 

This has left significant gaps in provision for school-age childcare in the holidays.

Beyond funding pressures, clubs are concerned with increasing operating costs. 

With the National Living Wage increasing in April 2026 to £12.71 for adults aged over 21, maintaining safe and sufficient staffing levels has become an expensive undertaking. 

Amidst the rising food and energy costs, clubs are feeling the weight of increasing overhead bills such as lighting, electricity and heating, making it challenging to provide meals for children. 

Consequently, clubs have been forced to increase prices to cover these expenses. 

Current support: what it lacks

The Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF), a government-funded initiative, currently provides free food and entertainment to children getting benefits-related free school meals during the holidays. 

Funding for this initiative has been continued until March 2029, for children from reception age to Year 11. 

Whilst free school meal eligibility will extend to all children on Universal Credit in September 2026, HAF requirements will not automatically expand alongside it.

Consequently, some children receiving help in school terms may not meet the criteria for support in the holidays.

HAF is not underpinned by statutory entitlement, meaning there is currently no legal requirement to provide support for all eligible children in the summer holidays. 

In a report published in March 2026 on the government website, Bridget Phillipson, then Education Secretary, stated that the government was working to cut financial pressures for families needing childcare.

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What does this mean for families in the UK? 

The financial burden that this will create for families across the UK should not be underestimated. 

For parents on Universal Credit childcare support, weekly costs typically have to be paid upfront and then claimed back later. 

The reimbursement process applies additional pressure on parents. 

According to Coram’s 2026 survey, it could take up to a month to receive expenses back, making it more difficult for families to pay upfront costs of care.  

For some families, this means turning to an equally expensive childminder, which charges an average of £251 per child a week in the UK.  

This is a rise of 7% from last year. 

For parents, these statistics translate into challenging choices over work schedules and summer plans. 

In an interview in Leeds city centre, a local parent of a 6-year-old said the prices of holiday clubs are “extremely expensive,” costing her £40 a day, or £280 a week. 

In an attempt to find a cheaper alternative, she is obliged to take annual leave to look after her son and rely on grandparents, but said, “My dad doesn't live near us, so it's quite difficult.”

As for entertainment, she is hoping to rely on local museums, but admitted she is running out of new options to keep her son happy. 

What action needs to be taken? 

The 2026 Coram report called for legal checks to create and sustain sufficient holiday childcare across the UK. 

The current government is yet to directly respond to Coram’s 2026 report and calls for more available and affordable holiday childcare. 

The Leeds parent stressed the need for more free activities in local towns and cities, adding: “Everything comes with a price these days.”

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