UK Parents Fined £41 Million for Taking Children Out of School During Term Time

Parents and guardians across England and Wales have racked up more than £41 million in fines for taking their children out of school for term-time holidays, new data from Confused.com reveals.

Freedom of Information requests submitted by the price comparison site found that over 873,000 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) have been issued since 2022. The vast majority were handed out in England, where councils issued 873,062 fines, compared to just 2,762 in Wales.

Essex County Council topped the list, issuing 35,605 fines – the equivalent of £2.05 million paid by parents. Bradford City Council wasn’t far behind, issuing 35,023 fines worth £1.8 million. Lancashire, Birmingham and Hampshire councils also ranked among the highest.

Under current rules, parents can be fined up to £160 per parent, per child if they take their children out of school without permission. In England, the fine starts at £80 if paid within 21 days but doubles if left unpaid. In Wales, it’s slightly lower – £60 if paid within 28 days, rising to £120. Repeat offenders risk steeper penalties or even court action. Scotland and Northern Ireland don’t currently issue fines, although legal action remains a possibility.

Despite the financial risk, many parents continue to gamble. A Confused.com survey of 1,200 UK parents found that 38% of those with unauthorised absences admitted it was for a holiday. The main driver? Cost. Travelling outside of school holidays saved families an average of £567, with 16% saying they saved over £1,000.

The prospect of a fine doesn’t seem to deter many either. Almost half (48%) of those who had been fined said they would still do it again. In fact, 86% of parents surveyed said they would consider taking their children out of school depending on their age, with nearly half believing it’s acceptable at any age and 23% saying it’s fine during primary school years.

Interestingly, many parents don’t see the fines as entirely fair. Over 40% think there should be discounted travel available during school holidays to ease the financial burden on families. Another 27% believe tax relief or government subsidies should be introduced to offset the higher travel costs during peak periods.

Some parents are even willing to bend the rules to avoid a fine. Around 44% admitted to giving alternative excuses for absences, with 28% claiming their child was sick when they were actually on holiday.

The current system has also prompted calls for change. Two in five (45%) parents believe families should be allowed a set number of “holiday leave” days per year. Around a third said schools should have more discretion to approve absences on a case-by-case basis.

In response to the findings, Confused.com has launched a school fines calculator to help parents understand how much they could be fined based on their local authority’s rules. The tool also shows how many fines have been issued in their area over the last three years. You can try it here: https://www.confused.com/travel-insurance/school-fines.

Alvaro Iturmendi, travel insurance expert at Confused.com, said:
“For many families, the savings made by travelling off-peak outweigh the risk of a fine. But it’s important to understand that fines are typically issued per parent, per child, meaning the costs can stack up very quickly. Repeat offences can also lead to legal action. That’s why we created the calculator – to help parents make informed decisions.”

Iturmendi also advised families looking to avoid fines to consider alternatives like lesser-known travel destinations, package holidays, or booking early to find better deals. Regardless of when families travel, he added, it’s crucial to take out travel insurance to protect against unexpected issues.

With more than £41 million already paid out, parents weighing up a term-time holiday would be wise to do their homework before making a decision.