With the introduction of the government’s temporary Great British Summer Savings scheme, Brits have been promised discounted attractions and meals out this summer. But personal finance expert, Sarah Coles, has issued parents a £180 summer holiday alert.
The Great British Summer Savings scheme means the rate of VAT will be cut from 20% to 5% on various family activities. However, the finance expert has warned families that the scheme may not “necessarily [be] a massive game-changer.” The expert highlighted that summer holiday care costs around £180 per child per week, citing the Coram Holiday Childcare Survey 2025.
The personal finance expert for investment platform AJ Bell said: “For many working parents, the cost of all of these things is a drop in the ocean compared to the small fortune they hand over for childcare during the summer.
“On average, summer holiday care costs around £180 a week per child.
“In England, the free 15 or 30 hours only applies during term time. You can spread it over the whole year, but anyone with 15 free hours a week will effectively see that fall to just 11.”
The family activities expected to see small cost cuts this summer include theme parks, aquariums and restaurant meals.
The potential total VAT savings for a family of two adults and two children would include £20 off the family’s tickets to a theme park, for the children’s meals on a lunch out, the total saving predicted is £2.
“The most cash-strapped families have already made an art of entertaining the kids without spending any money, although being able to ride the bus for free will help them do so over a wider area and if they get the front seat of a top deck it could become an attraction all of its own,” the expert explains.
She elaborated on what families are already doing right now to save money and why this means they won’t see much of a difference with the Great British Summer Savings scheme.
“Meanwhile, savings-savvy families already visit cafes offering free children’s meals, and use vouchers and loyalty points to pay for attractions and days out, so they’ll see less of a saving. For those paying full price for a day at the theme park, it’s a handy discount, but it’s still going to be one of the more expensive days of the year.”
The expert shared what else families could be doing to save on childcare costs during difficult financial periods.
“You can use the tax-free childcare scheme to pay for holiday care, and for every £8 you put into your account, the government will top it up by £2. It only covers providers who have signed up to the scheme, but if they’re on the list, you could save hundreds of pounds over what could still be the six most expensive weeks of the year.”