What the Great British Summer Savings Scheme means for your family

Keeping the kids entertained over six weeks of summer holidays is not cheap. Days out, meals, travel, and activities all add up fast. That is why the government's Great British Summer Savings scheme is worth knowing about, because it could take some of the sting out of the school break this year.

What is the Great British Summer Savings scheme?

In an effort to ease the cost of living pressures, the government has announced a temporary cut to VAT1, reducing it from 20% to 5% on a range of family activities. The scheme runs from when Scottish schools break up at the end of June until the children go back in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland on 1 September. It covers days out, meals, and more.

What's covered?

Qualifying activities include:

• Children's meals in restaurants and cafes, when eaten on the premises
• Children's and family tickets for cinemas, theatres, concerts, and shows
• Entry to theme parks, amusement parks, and fairs
• Admission to museums, zoos, wildlife parks, nature reserves, and soft play centres
• Circuses, adventure parks, and observation attractions

The government is urging businesses to pass the reduction on to their customers, as the scheme is designed to benefit families directly. However, since it is not a legal requirement, it’s worth checking with individual venues before you book to check if they will apply the reduced rate.

Free bus travel for children

On top of the VAT cut, under-16s in England will be able to travel by bus for free throughout August. With fuel prices on the rise, for families in Chorley, Euxton, and across Lancashire, that could take a noticeable chunk off the cost of getting out and about without relying on the car.

How much could it save you?

Though the average savings per household is estimated at around £10 per family, small savings stack up. A reduced entry fee here, a discounted meal there, free travel for the children in August: taken together, these measures can meaningfully reduce the cost of a family summer. The saving per trip varies depending on the venue and how many children you have.

A good time to review your wider finances

The cost of living has been squeezing household budgets for a while now, and a summer savings scheme, while welcome, is one small piece of the picture. At Euxton Mortgage Market, we offer fee-free advice working with families across Lancashire, including Euxton, Buckshaw, and Chorley, to help them get more from their money, whether that means finding a better mortgage deal, reviewing protection cover, or simply understanding what options are open to them.

Sources

1 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd7pzr88de1o

All the information in this article is correct as of the date of publishing. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors Euxton Mortgage Market. The information provided in this article, including text, graphics and images does not, and is not intended to, substitute advice; instead, all information, content and materials available in this article are for general informational purposes only. Information in this article may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information.

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June 2026