Councils raised more than £19 million in fines for absence last year as enforcement ramped back up in the wake of Covid and town halls adopted stricter policies to pre-empt government rule changes.
Penalties for unauthorised absence were stopped during periods of partial school closure but they reached record numbers last year as low attendance rates continue to blight education.
Analysis of freedom of information data suggests town halls took in £19 million in 2022-23, almost double the £9.7 million taken the previous year, and up 17.5 per cent on pre-pandemic 2018-19.
In one area, income was 55 times what it was before Covid, while another saw a six-fold increase. Of the 15 areas with the largest increases, 11 have above-average free school meals eligibility.
