Council Generated Twelve Times as much Cash from Fines for Unauthorised School Absences in 2024 than in 2023

Fines for unauthorised school absences during term-time holidays generated twelve times as much cash for the council in 2024 than in 2023. Figures from a freedom of information (FOI) request to Westmorland and Furness Council revealed in 2024 the authority received £14,500 from fines for unauthorised school absences due to holidays during term time.

This compares to the council generating £2,160 and £1,200 from fixed penalty notices in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

A spokesperson for Westmorland and Furness Council said: “The income generated is ringfenced spending to support improved attendance for all our pupils.”

According to the FOI request the council issued 195 fines in November 2024 alone, which compares to ‘5 or fewer’ in November 2023.

This academic year school term-time holiday absence fines in England rose from £60 to £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days.

If a parent receives a second fine for the same child before the end of a three-year period, this will be charged at the higher rate of £160.

For a third offence within a three-year period, a parenting order or prosecution will be considered, plus a fine of up to £2,500.

The Department for Education (DfE) data showed there were 487,344 penalty notices issued for unauthorised absences in the 2023-24 academic year compared to 398,796 in 2022-23, which marks a 22 per cent rise in a year.

According to DfE figures, 91 per cent of fines issued were due to unauthorised family holidays, 0.2 per cent were issued for being late and the remainder were for other unauthorised circumstances.

A petition to allow parents to take their children out of school for up to ten days without receiving a fine has been signed over 145,000 times.

The petition reads: “We’re seeking reform to the punitive policy for term time leave that disproportionately impacts families that are already under immense pressure and criminalises parents that we think are making choices in the best interests of their families.”

A spokesperson from Westmorland and Furness Council said: “In line with national attendance changes, the frequency of Fixed Penalty Notices for unauthorised school absences due to term-time holidays has increased in Westmorland and Furness, as it has in other authorities around the country.”

Report by Dan Hunt (Local Democracy Reporting Service)