• As the restrictions continue to lift, and potentially end this summer, the Bank of Mum and Dad is expected to reduce financial support by  £1.8 billion
• 1.7 million people have received less financial help from families since Covid-19 struck
• Yet many families have given the gift of time, providing more childcare hours on average than pre pandemic
• Family support is more important than ever, with 27 million people believing the pandemic has affected their wellbeing

After lockdown ends the Bank of Mum and Dad¹ is expected to significantly reduce financial support to family members, reveals new research² from Direct Line Life Insurance. The overall value of financial help from families is expected to fall by £1.8 billion across the country, with the average amount given per person, by family members, dropping by 27 per cent, from £775 pre pandemic to £567.

Like many banks, the BOMAD has had to withdraw some financing during the pandemic. Almost two million people have received less regular or a lower amount of financial help from their families since the beginning of the first lockdown in March 2020. Around £151 million less has been paid out to family members since Covid-19 hit.

By early December 2020, the latest available data³, nearly nine million people had to borrow more money than usual to counteract the financial impact of the pandemic, with nearly half (45 per cent) of these having to borrow more than £1,000. This is a 40 per cent increase when compared to six months prior and means 2.4 million people needed to borrow more to cover their costs. As of April 2021, nearly one in six (17 per cent) adults, some nine million people, stated the pandemic had affected their household finances.

However, while financial support has reduced significantly, the pandemic has resulted in many families becoming more reliant on each other than ever before. Nearly one in five people (19 per cent) believe they have grown closer to their parents over lockdown, with similar numbers having grown closer to their siblings (19 per cent) and children (21 per cent).

This family support is even more important as, across the UK, lockdown has had a negative impact on mental health and wellbeing. Q1 2021, the latest lockdown, has seen overall mental wellbeing deteriorate compared to previous quarters, with the average life satisfaction score provided by UK adults 12 per cent lower in February 2021 than at the same point in 2020.

Half of adults, some 27 million people believe the pandemic has affected their wellbeing, while nearly two thirds (62 per cent) have felt they had a lack of freedom and independence, and over a quarter (28 per cent) said that their relationships had suffered.

Vincent Guadagnino, Communications Manager at Direct Line Life Insurance, commented: “The pandemic has had a profound impact on all our lives. It has separated us from loved ones and vital support systems during a really difficult period and led to many struggling without the usual financial, childcare and emotional support received from their families.

“While our research shows that the financial support is likely to take some time to get back to pre-pandemic levels, it also highlights how interwoven families have become and how reliant people are on their family support system. Covid-19 has been a challenging period for many but has also emphasised how important family is and how vital it is to protect them.”

For further information please visit https://www.directline.com/life-cover

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Notes to Editors

^1.        Financial support provided by all family members

^2.        Omnibus commissioned among 2,000 UK adults between 26^th – 30^th March 2021

^3.        Analysis of the ONS’s “Personal and economic well-being in Great Britain” and “Coronavirus and the social impacts on Great Britain” publications. All analysis covers the most recently available data.

For further information please contact:

Chelsey Wheeler 

Direct Line Group 

Email: [email protected]

Direct Line

Started in 1985, Direct Line became the first UK insurance company to use the telephone as its main channel of communication. It provides motor, home, travel, pet and life insurance cover direct to customers by phone or on-line.

Direct Line life insurance policies are underwritten by AIG, part of the American International Group UK Limited, registered office: The AIG Building, 58 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 4AB. American International Group UK Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority (FRN number 781109. You can check the FCA register at www.fca.org.uk/register or call the FCA on 0800 111 6768.

Customers can find out more about Direct Line products or get a quote by calling 0800 077 8297 or visiting www.directline.com/life-cover.