Survey Reveals Financial Worries Plague Children and Young Adults Ahead of the Holidays

A survey has revealed that three-quarters (75%) of children and young adults, aged 11 to 21, are anticipating a stressful Christmas due to concerns over their families’ finances. With the holiday season approaching, many young people fear that money worries will lead to heightened anxiety for their parents and other family members.

The survey, conducted by Action for Children, found that nearly one-third (35%) of young people believe their families will be financially worse off this Christmas compared to the previous year. Around 21% of respondents are also anxious about their parents struggling to pay essential household bills during the festive season.

A significant number of young people (69%) expect that their parents will have to forgo something important or personal in order to ensure they can still afford to buy presents for the family. This worrying trend reflects growing concerns among the younger generation about financial hardship at home.

The survey also highlighted that many young people are concerned about the financial difficulties faced by others. About one-third (33%) of respondents expressed worry about families they know who may not be able to afford Christmas gifts this year.

Paul Carberry, chief executive of Action for Children, shared the ongoing struggles of families facing financial hardship: “Our frontline workers are helping children every day, witnessing unimaginable situations like children sleeping on the floor without beds and families desperately calling us because they have no money to feed their children. This issue doesn’t pause for the holiday season.”

The survey, which was carried out by Savanta in October and November, gathered responses from over 2,900 young people across the UK.