Bilingual Statement | Datganiad dwyieithog
Over half of parents (53%) in Wales are worried about the cost of school uniforms ahead of the new school year, according to research commissioned by Save the Children.
The survey also found that four in ten (41%) of Welsh parents are going without things for themselves to meet back-to-schools costs. Over a third (37%) of parents are concerned about the costs of school shoes, and a fifth about the cost of PE kit (20%).
The findings are part of Save the Children’s ‘No Summer Break from Poverty’ campaign, highlighting how, for many families, the financial pressures of the school holidays don’t disappear when the new term begins. Instead, the cost of uniforms, school supplies and other essentials quickly replaces the expense of keeping children fed, occupied and entertained over the summer, leaving little opportunity for families to recover.
Many are already making sacrifices to ensure their children have what they need for the new school term with nearly a third (30%) of Welsh parents reporting they were cutting back on household spending, using their savings (27%) and 29% working extra hours.
Dominique, a mum of two from Bettws in Newport whose son will be starting secondary school next week said: “parents are struggling with any extra expenses throughout the year so now when they go back to school, having to pay for the uniforms and things on top of costs over the summer is stressful. I’ve been trying to put some money aside every month to save up as everything just adds up so quickly.”
The concerns echo those being raised by families supported through Community Focused Schools in Neath Port Talbot where Save the Children Cymru is supporting families with family grants which can help pay for essentials such as back-to-school costs.
Kathryn Matthews is the Community Focused Schools Manager at Neath Port Talbot Council and often hears how the summer holidays are expensive and that families feel the pressure of preparing for the new school term due to the cost-of-living crisis:
“In Neath Port Talbot, we are working alongside schools to identify and reduce the financial barriers that can impact children's educational experiences as part of a poverty-proofing pilot scheme. We were also one of the first authorities to roll out free school meals and unlock access to additional financial support, including the School Essentials Grant. A strong network of pre-loved school uniform provision is one of the many areas of help we offer, with a parent of five children recently describing it as "a lifeline."
"Every parent and carer in the Neath Port Talbot area has access to our 'Help with the cost of living' webpage which includes various avenues of financial support including childcare costs, household bills and advice around any benefits available to them."
Save the Children says the findings demonstrate why longer-term measures such as a national Welsh Child Payment are needed to help families manage rising essential costs.
Melanie Simmonds, Head of Save the Children Cymru, said: ““We welcome the work carried out by community-led organisations and local authorities to support parents during this time and that the Welsh Government are continuing with their School Essentials Grant and expanding the provision of free school meals to secondary school pupils in households receiving Universal Credit.
“But with over half of Welsh parents still struggling with back-to-school costs there is still a need for wider support.
“The Welsh Government’s pilot Cynnal, which is a weekly payment of £10 for young children in low-income families within the pilot areas, is a good first step towards a fully scaled up Welsh Child Payment. If the scheme is rolled out nationally it would be a powerful lever to address child poverty and give families the support they need to ensure children have the childhood they deserve.”
ENDS
Notes to editor:
- Save the Children’s Big Summer Survey was conducted by Opinium between June 22nd - July 3rd 2026. 2,000 UK parents with at least one child under the age of 16 were polled. The full results can be found here.
- The data was weighted to be representative of parents across the UK by the parents age, parents gender, working status and social grade.
- Save the Children Cymru has been working directly with families and communities across Wales, making sure children don't miss out on childhood because of poverty. Through our Save the Children grants programme, we've delivered more than 10,500 grants reaching over 21,000 children, working alongside more than 120 trusted local partner organisations in 30 communities across the UK.
For further information contact [email protected] / +44(0)7831 650409.
CYMRAEG:
DROS HANNER RHIENI CYMRU YN POENI AM GOST GWISG YSGOL
Mae mwy na hanner o rieni Cymru (53%) yn poeni am gost gwisg ysgol ar ddechrau'r flwyddyn ysgol newydd, yn ôl ymchwil a gomisiynwyd gan Achub y Plant.
Canfu’r arolwg hefyd bod pedwar o bob deg (41%) o rieni Cymru yn mynd heb bethau iddyn nhw eu hunain i dalu costau dychwelyd i'r ysgol. Mae dros draean (37%) o rieni yn poeni am gost esgidiau ysgol, ac un rhan o bump am gost cit Addysg Gorfforol (20%).
Mae'r canfyddiadau yn rhan o ymgyrch 'Dim Hoe dros yr Haf rhag Tlodi' Achub y Plant, sy'n amlinellu nad yw pwysau ariannol gwyliau'r ysgol yn diflannu pan fydd y tymor ysgol newydd yn dechrau. Yn lle hynny, mae cost gwisg ysgol, cyflenwadau a hanfodion eraill yn disodli'r gost o fwydo a diddanu plant dros yr haf i deuluoedd.
Mae nifer eisoes yn mynd heb hanfodion i sicrhau bod gan eu plant yr hyn sydd ei angen arnynt ar gyfer y tymor ysgol newydd gyda bron i draean (30% ) o rieni yn nodi eu bod yn lleihau gwariant y cartref, 27% yn defnyddio eu cynilion, a 29% yn gweithio oriau ychwanegol.
Meddai Dominique, mam o gymuned Betws yng Nghasnewydd sydd â’i mab yn dechrau yn yr ysgol uwchradd yr wythnos nesaf: “mae rhieni yn stryglo gydag unrhyw gostau ychwanegol drwy gydol y flwyddyn felly nawr pan maen nhw'n mynd yn ôl i'r ysgol mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw dalu am wisgoedd ysgol a’r holl bethau sydd ei angen. ‘Dwi wedi bod yn ceisio safio rhywfaint o arian bob mis ar gyfer gwneud pethau gyda’r plant dros yr haf a chostau dychwelyd i'r ysgol gan fod popeth yn ‘adio fyny’ mor gyflym ar ben biliau a chostau byw bob dydd.”
Mae'r canfyddiadau hefyd yn cyd-fynd gyda phryderon teuluoedd sy'n cael cefnogaeth drwy Ysgolion Bro yn ardal Castell-nedd Port Talbot ble mae Achub y Plant Cymru yn cefnogi teuluoedd gyda grantiau teulu a all helpu i dalu am gostau ysgol.
Mae Kathryn Matthews yn gweithio fel Rheolwr Ysgolion Bro Cyngor Bwrdeistref Castell-nedd Port Talbot ac mae’n clywed yn gyson gan rieni pa mor ddrud yw’r gwyliau haf a bod teuluoedd yn teimlo’r pwysau ariannol wrth baratoi ar gyfer y tymor ysgol newydd oherwydd yr argyfwng costau byw.
"Yng Nghastell-nedd Port Talbot, rydym yn gweithio ochr yn ochr ag ysgolion i nodi a lleihau'r rhwystrau ariannol a all effeithio ar brofiadau addysgol plant fel rhan o gynllun peilot profi-tlodi. Roeddem hefyd yn un o'r awdurdodau cyntaf i gyflwyno prydau ysgol am ddim a datgloi mynediad at gymorth ariannol ychwanegol, gan gynnwys y Grant Hanfodion Ysgol. Mae rhwydwaith cryf o ddarpariaeth gwisg ysgol ail-law yn un o'r nifer o feysydd rydym yn ei gynnig, gyda un rhiant i bump o blant yn ei ddisgrifio'n ddiweddar fel ‘achubiaeth."
"Mae gan bob rhiant a gofalwr yn ardal Castell-nedd Port Talbot fynediad i'n gwedudalen 'Help gyda chostau byw' sy'n cynnwys gwybodaeth am gymorth ariannol gan gynnwys costau gofal plant, biliau cartref a chyngor ynghylch unrhyw fudd-daliadau sydd ar gael iddynt."
Er bod Achub y Plant yn cydnabod ac yn croesawu y cymorth ychwanegol sydd ar gael i rieni mae’r ffaith bod dros hanner o rieni Cymru yn dal i’w chael yn anodd i ddal deupen llinyn ynghyd yr adeg yma o’r flwyddyn, yn amlinellu pam fod angen mesurau hirdymor, megis Taliad Plant Cymru cenedlaethol, i helpu teuluoedd i ymdopi â chostau hanfodol cynyddol.
Meddai Melanie Simmonds, Pennaeth Achub y Plant Cymru: "Ar ôl gwyliau hir yr haf, mae rhieni'n wynebu costau newydd ym mis Awst wrth baratoi eu plant ar gyfer dechrau'r flwyddyn ysgol. Gall gwisgoedd ysgol, esgidiau a bagiau ysgol fod yn hynod ddrud, yn enwedig i deuluoedd mwy, a gall fod yn anodd prynu popeth sydd ei angen pan fo llawer o rieni wedi bod yn talu am ddiwrnodau allan a gweithgareddau dros yr haf.
“Rydym yn croesawu’r gwaith a wneir gan grwpiau cymunedol ac awdurdodau lleol i gefnogi rhieni yn ystod y cyfnod hwn a bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau â’u Grant Hanfodion Ysgol ac yn ehangu’r ddarpariaeth o brydau ysgol am ddim i ddisgyblion ysgol uwchradd mewn aelwydydd sy’n derbyn Credyd Cynhwysol. Ond gyda dros hanner rhieni Cymru yn dal i gael trafferth gyda chostau dychwelyd i’r ysgol, mae angen cefnogaeth ehangach o hyd.
"Mae peilot ‘Cynnal’ Llywodraeth Cymru, sef taliad wythnosol o £10 i blant ifanc mewn teuluoedd incwm isel o fewn ardaloedd penodol, yn gam cyntaf pwysig tuag at Daliad Plant Cymru llawn. Pe bai hyn yn cael ei gyflwyno ledled Cymru, byddai cynllun o'r fath yn arf pwerus i fynd i'r afael â thlodi plant a rhoi'r gefnogaeth sydd ei hangen ar deuluoedd er mwyn sicrhau bod plant yn cael y plentyndod y maent yn ei haeddu."
DIWEDD
Nodiadau i Olygyddion
- Cynhaliwyd Arolwg Haf Mawr Achub y Plant gan Opinium rhwng 22 Mehefin a 3 Gorffennaf 2026. Holwyd 2,000 o rieni ledled y DU oedd ag o leiaf un plentyn dan 16 oed. Mae'r canlyniadau llawn ar gael ar wefan Opinium.
- Cafodd y data ei bwysoli i fod yn gynrychioliadol o rieni ledled y DU yn ôl oedran, rhywedd, statws gwaith a gradd gymdeithasol y rhieni.
- Mae Achub y Plant Cymru wedi bod yn gweithio'n uniongyrchol gyda theuluoedd a chymunedau ledled Cymru, gan sicrhau nad yw plant yn colli allan ar eu plentyndod oherwydd tlodi.
- Drwy raglen grantiau Achub y Plant, mae mwy na 10,500 o grantiau wedi'u darparu sydd wedi cyrraedd dros 21,000 o blant, mewn partneriaeth â mwy na 120 o sefydliadau lleol dibynadwy mewn 30 o gymunedau ledled y DU.