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One family in five is too poor to take a trip to the seaside for today’s bank holiday, a children’s charity has revealed.
Research published by Barnardo’s today found that the poorest 20 per cent of families have too little disposable income to stretch to a city-to-coast trip, even if they cut out “all but the basics.”
A trip from Birmingham to Rhyl, north Wales, would set a family of four back £117.40 while one from Leicester to Skegness in Lincolnshire would cost £127.40, the study showed.
The minimum disposable income for a fifth of households was just £39 a week — leaving a day at the beach well out of reach.
The calculations are based on a day trip and assume families are able to find the cheapest rail fare.
They include the cost of a fish-and-chip meal, sun cream and ice creams, but do not cover additional items such as swimming costumes, towels, buckets and spades or armbands.
“Research shows that the poorest families have too little money to cover basic weekly living costs — let alone a trip to the beach,” the charity said.
“The income of the poorest families has declined in recent years.
“They have been hit hard by a toxic mix of rising living costs and working and non-working benefit cuts.”
One-fifth of households have an income of less than £423 a week, meaning that after covering essentials they would be unable to afford a seaside trip in any location Barnardo’s surveyed.
“Every child deserves to have a day out once in a while, no matter what their circumstances,” chief executive Javed Khan said.
“It is an opportunity to spend a healthy, happy time and experience a British cultural tradition — to play on the beach, splash in the sea and build sandcastles.”
Prime Minister David Cameron has promoted the “staycation” — a holiday in Britain rather than abroad — as a cost-effective alternative to foreign trips for poor people.
He takes annual breaks in Cornwall on top of his holidays abroad to set an example.
But Mr Khan said even British holidays were now unaffordable for many people.
“For hundreds of thousands of families, a trip to the pier is but a pipe-dream,” he said.
