Poverty puts beach trips on ice

August Bank Holiday means a trip to the seaside, right? Not for everyone, it seems: new research from Barnardo’s reveals a day by the sea is out of reach for one in five families – because it’s just too expensive.

Children’s charity Barnardo’s has calculated the cost of a family day at the seaside this Bank Holiday. The research looks at the cheapest train fare for a family of four from cities and county towns to their nearest seaside resort. It also includes the family price of sun-cream, fish & chips and ice-cream.

The shocking result is that a no-frills day trip could cost a household of two adults and two children more than £170, depending on where they live. Those in London would need to stump up a below average but still daunting £96. The research doesn’t include additional costs such as swimwear, towels, buckets and spades, arm bands or inflatables.

The poorest families have too little money to cover basic weekly living costs – let alone a trip to the beach. The incomes of the UK’s poorest families have declined in recent years. They have been hit hard by a toxic mix of rising living costs and working and non-working benefits cuts. Welfare reform has included measures that break the link between benefits and inflation.

One in five families currently survive on an income of less than £423 a week. Barnardo’s calculations reveal that – after covering basic living costs – a family of four on this income could not afford a seaside trip in any location surveyed. Minimum disposable weekly income for the poorest one in five families is £39 – yet costs for a day out range from £41 to £172 depending on where you are in the country.

Traditionally, families in London Boroughs have relied on local community groups to provide subsidised free or low cost days out over the summer holidays. However, government cuts to local Councils have reduced the amount of money available to channel to such groups.

Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan says: “Family holidays have a special place in the childhood memory box, and every child deserves to have a day out once in a while, no matter what their circumstances. Whatever the weather, a day at the seaside with the family is a day to treasure. It is an opportunity for children to spend a healthy, happy time and experience a British cultural tradition; to play on the beach, splash in the sea and build sandcastles. It is an opportunity every child should enjoy. The Prime Minister has put family life at the heart of government and promoted the ‘staycation’. Yet for hundreds of thousands of families struggling to make ends meet this weekend – a trip to the pier is but a pipe-dream.”

Barnardo’s is calling on the Government to act urgently to prevent more children growing up in poverty by genuinely boosting the poorest families’ incomes. Measures should include restoring the link between benefits and inflation, and ensuring that low paid families can keep more of their earnings when Universal Credit is introduced.

The Government’s figures suggest that 200,000 more children will be plunged into poverty as a result of the 2013 Welfare and Benefits Up-rating measure, which placed a 3 year ‘freeze’ on benefits uprating at 1% per year. In addition in the autumn statement 2013 the government chose to freeze in-work allowances under Universal Credit for three years – this measure will make the new benefit less generous for poor working families over time.

About Barnardo’s
Barnardo’s works with more than 200,000 children, young people and their families each year. Barnardo’s runs more than 900 services across the UK. Barnardo’s works with more than 200,000 children, young people and their families each year. Barnardo’s runs more than 900 services across the UK. We believe in children and we believe every young person has a right to thrive. Our vision is to realise Thomas Barnardo’s dream of a world where no child is turned away from the help that they need. We work to transform the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable children and every year we help thousands of families to build a better future. But we cannot do it without you. Visit www.barnardos.org.uk to find out how you can get involved and show you believe in children.