Parents across the UK are confronting difficult decisions when it comes to booking family holidays, as rising holiday costs coincide with increased fines for unauthorised school absences during term time.
Families traditionally plan getaways during school breaks such as summer, Christmas, Easter, and half-term holidays. However, soaring prices for flights, accommodation, holiday parks, and entertainment during these peak periods mean that every penny counts — especially for those on tighter budgets.
At the same time, local authorities are enforcing fines on parents who take their children out of school without permission. Under national regulations, schools can issue fines if a child accrues 10 days or more of unauthorised absence. From August 2024, these fines have increased for the first time since 2012.
Parents now face fines of £80 if paid within 21 days, rising to £160 if settled within 28 days. The charges apply per parent, per child, which means that families with multiple children can face significant financial penalties.
Campaigners have criticised the fines as “punitive,” arguing that the policy places families in a difficult position — forced to choose between expensive holiday rates during school breaks or potentially substantial fines for travelling during term time.
As the cost of holidays continues to rise alongside these penalties, many parents say they are left weighing the financial impact of either option.
