Almost one in six parents has pretended to be sick to get time off work to look after their kids over summer, says new poll
School might be out for summer, but the majority of parents are more worried about childcare plans than holiday plans, according to a new survey.
The poll reveals the pressures facing parents during school holidays, with 70% admiting they're stressed out about childcare costs and arrangements - and almost one in six said they've resorted to calling in sick to stay at home and look after the kids.
Over a quarter of the 2,919 parents surveyed with kids aged 5-13 said they're worried about the additional childcare costs they'll face over summer.
Worryingly, one in five parents said they'll rely on overdrafts to survive and 20% are planning to turn to credit cards.
“Parents across the UK are very worried about the extra financial cost the school summer holidays bring, but we know that people aren’t always claiming all the financial support available to them," said Alison Taylor, Director of Turn2us, who commissioned the research.
A staggering £6.4 billion of Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit goes unclaimed each year, according to Government figures.
The charity is encouraging parents to check what benefits or grants they might be eligible for to help reduce the financial strain.
