Labour has warned that families with young children face another potential income squeeze this autumn after data suggested the cost of after-school clubs had risen one-and-a-half times faster than consumer inflation since 2010.
Citing analysis that says families using after-school provision five days a week are spending £800 a year more than in 2010, Labour called for ministers to do more to address what it said was another significant cost of living pressure.
The average family using five-day-a-week after-school provision now spends more money on this than on their weekly food shop, the party said.
Using research by the Coram children’s charity, Labour said families in England using all-week after-school provision for a 38-week academic year were paying an average of £2,537, £827 more than the 2010 cost of £1,710.
The 2022 sum was, the party said, 148% of the 2010 level, contrasting this with consumer price inflation over the same period, which amounted to 132%.
Labour said the increased costs, coupled with higher prices for food and other essentials and for energy, meant some parents could find it harder to work, while children would miss out on activities and time with friends.
It said this was particularly worrying in combination with the cost of school uniforms. A 2020 UK-wide survey by the Children’s Society found the average total cost for uniforms for a child in a state secondary school was £337 a year, and £315 for each primary school child.
Bridget Phillipson, Labour’s shadow education secretary, said: “As parents battle rising costs of living, soaring childcare costs are making life ever harder for families. For many the return to school simply means yet more bills for parents to pay.
“Labour has been clear for months – we would be supporting families and boosting children’s development now with breakfast and after-school clubs for every child, alongside our plan to freeze the energy price cap to save families £1,000 on their bills this winter.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We recognise families with children are facing price rises due to global inflation and we are doing more to support households with over £37bn to help those most in need through the household support fund.
“We have invested over £4bn in each of the past five years to support families with the cost of childcare and in July we announced plans to improve the cost, choice and availability of childcare that will benefit hundreds of thousands of parents across the country.”
