·         Two fifths (40 per cent) of parents have experienced PPP (Pupil Party Pressure), feeling obligated to invite their child’s entire class to a party

·         Across the UK, parents are spending £2.1 billion a year on birthday parties for their children, with each party at home costing £252 on average

·         3.4 million parents of children under 10 report their child has been injured at another child’s party, of which a third ending up in A&E

·         Parents are increasingly litigious, threatening legal action if their child is injured at a party

Parents are under increasing pressure to invite their child’s entire class to birthday parties, reveals new research¹ from Churchill Home Insurance. Two fifths (40 per cent) of parents have felt PPP (Pupil Party Pressure), feeling obligated to invite the whole class to the birthday party and for nearly a third of parents (29 per cent) it is even official school policy that every child in the class is invited.

While this can be beneficial from a social perspective, it can also put a great deal of financial strain on parents who spend an average of £252 just hosting a party in their own home. One in five parents (20 per cent) have even spent upwards of £350 making sure their child had the best birthday party.  In the last 12 months alone, parents have hosted an estimated 8.2 million parties in their own homes or the homes of family members for their children, collectively spending a grand total of £2.1 billion – or £5.7 million every day.

The cost of parties isn’t just balloons and bunting, as parents are frequently facing unexpected bills to repair damage caused by the number of children in one place. Nearly half (46 per cent) have had to repair something in their home because of the party, setting them back on average £238 per party.

The most common items damaged during parties at home are outdoor play equipment (45 per cent) and outdoor furniture (42 per cent). Over a third of parents have experienced damage to carpets or flooring (37 per cent) and electrical appliances (36 per cent), while over a quarter (28 per cent) have even had to fix or replace windows and doors.

Table one: Top 10 items damaged by children at a party

Source: Churchill Home Insurance 2019

Craig Rixon, Head of Churchill home insurance, said: “It’s interesting to see just how much pressure parents feel when it comes to throwing birthday parties for their children and the large bills they face when having to invite 20-30 children. In many cases, they do not have the space at home, so it is not surprising that damage is being caused to their home and its contents.  While parents can’t plan for potential accidental damage it is worth checking their home insurance policy to find out what they are covered for, to help save paying out additional cash.”

Unfortunately, children themselves can often get injured while at parties. Over the last five years, some 3.4 million parents of children under 10 said their child has been injured at another child’s party and in more than a third (34 per cent) of those cases the injury was serious enough that it resulted in a trip to A&E or to the GP.

The most common causes of injury for children at parties are slipping and falling (45 per cent), fighting with another child (45 per cent) and falling off, or when playing, on a bouncy castle or inflatable (38 per cent). Eating and drinking related injuries like choking or allergies account for nearly two fifths (38 per cent) of accidents, as do paddling pool or swimming related incidents (37 per cent).

Table two: Causes of children injured at parties 

Source: Churchill Home Insurance 2019

In circumstances where a child was injured in their home, two fifths (41 per cent) of parents hosting the event said they had been threatened with legal action by the parents. A further one in seven (14 per cent) refused to let their child return to the property following an injury. Surprisingly, despite having children themselves, just one in seven parents (14 per cent) completely understood that it wasn’t anyone’s fault and accidents do happen.  

Analysis² reveals there have been more than 1,800 liability-related personal injury claims in the UK in the last five years, accounting for around a third (36 per cent) of all injury claims. The average liability claim for an injury is more than six times higher than a standard injury claim, so can account for almost 80 per cent of the value of all injury claims.

Craig Rixon, Head of Churchill home insurance, continued: “Liability cases can cost thousands, sometimes even tens of thousands, of pounds, adding strain to an already extremely stressful situation if a child has been injured. No parent wants to stop their child having a birthday party because they are worried something might happen, but a quick check of your home insurance policy will help you see if you are covered for personal liability to cover the costs just in case anyone makes a claim against you for being injured while in your home.”

Churchill includes personal liability cover as standard in both its Home Insurance3 contents and Home Plus4 Contents insurance policies. This  covers homeowners for legal liability for damages they would have to pay if someone makes a claim against them for accidental death or illness of, or bodily damage to another person, or accidental loss of or damage to another person’s personal possessions, subject to policy limits.

For more information on Churchill’s home insurance policies please visit https://www.churchill.com/home-insurance/options/cover-options and https://www.churchill.com/home-insurance/options/home-plus-cover

ENDS                                                                                               

Notes to Editors

¹          Research conducted by Opinium among a nationally representative sample of 460 parents with a child aged 10 or below

²          Analysis of injury claims data provided by Churchill Home Insurance from January 2014 to June 2019

³          https://www.churchill.com/home-insurance/options/cover-options

⁴          https://www.churchill.com/lib/pdf/ch-home-insurance-plus-policy-document.pdf

 

For further information please contact:

Chelsey Wheeler
HOME PR Manager

Tel: 01651 832 095

Email: [email protected]

Nick Andrews

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 0207 282 1050

Churchill

Founded in 1989, Churchill is now one of the UK's leading providers of general insurance, offering car, home, travel and pet insurance cover over the phone or on-line.

Churchill general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.  

Churchill and U K Insurance Limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.  

Customers can find out more about Churchill products or get a quote by calling 0300 200300 or visiting www.churchill.com