How common is it for teenagers to contribute financially

[FancyNancyClancy2]

I recently posted a thread about under 18s and jobs and there were a lot of answers regarding teenagers having to work to support the household.

I’m just genuinely interested how common this is. I’m probably extremely naive but although I know this happens it’s not something I’ve ever come across in real life.

Yep, it happens. Not every household can run on Mum and Dad's income, so everything that comes in is pooled. Nothing new, neither.

While my teenagers are in education, they don’t have to pay for anything in the house.

Once they start working, they give me 25% of their wages, but they definitely don’t in any way ‘support the household’ as that’s incredibly unfair.

I save that 25% in an account, and when they move out I’ll gift it to them to help pay for furniture, carpeting etc.

It often happens when families are on benefits and lose £££ when the child leaves school.

My DS started working FT at 16yo and has always contributed, not because we need him too but because paying your way is what working people do.

I wouldn't take money off PT working children, still in education unless I really needed to.

This issue always seriously divides MN.

@OneRingToRuleThemAll

It often happens when families are on benefits and lose £££ when the child leaves school.

Is that true? I can’t believe it! Why is it a child’s responsibility to replace government money?

I'm never heard of it in real life, only on here. And I live in a pretty blue collar neighbourhood.

Teenagers who earn any money keep it for clothes, extras like sweets, going into town at weekends, phone credit, games etc.

They don't come home with a brace of pigeons and a bag of mixed veg.

Yes, maybe my title should be under 18s rather than teenagers, I’m more talking about people in full time education, obviously once someone is working the contribute, I paid rent at 18 from my full time wage.

The "government money" was to support the child. Once the child is working, that's what their job's for.

Is that true? I can’t believe it! Why is it a child’s responsibility to replace government money?

Because in that situation the 'government money' is given to support the child. Remove that money from the parent and you are left with an adult child who needs to support themselves because their parents cannot afford to.

@FancyNancyClancy2

Yes, maybe my title should be under 18s rather than teenagers, I’m more talking about people in full time education, obviously once someone is working the contribute, I paid rent at 18 from my full time wage.

Oh, from part time work? Absolutely would not take that from a child.

I never did get charged as a teenager, and I wouldn’t ever charge my child for living with me

Although I do agree that any extras they work for when they’re at that age. Eg phones, games, going out with friends, takeaways (unless ordering as a family)

My dd is in college and working PT she is earning a significant amount of money monthly plus has her grant money.

She contributes weekly. I pay her mobile on bill still.

I save half and plan to give it back to her for a big purchase car moving out etc.

She has every comfort provided to her food on tap, hot water when ever she wants it. Use of internet and all our streaming accounts etc.

I think its completely reasonable she contributes something towards that.

Sorry missed your update. She is now 18, I didnt take any money of her while in school and working a different short term part time job were she was earning less money.

Hopefully it's not so common these days but I think it still happens. I remember I knew an 18 year old, just out of school, first full time job. She lived with her mum in a council flat, mum was on benefits. Mums housing benefit was cancelled and 18 year old became responsible for paying the rent and bills. It was really sad because all her friends (also first jobs) would go out every weekend and had money for clothes and shopping, she couldn't afford to because all her money was used running the house, she had nothing left for fun.

I payed lodge once I left 6th form and started uni. I think it’s rare for under 18s to contribute unless absolutely needed but once you’ve left school then yes you should contribute. You don’t suddenly cost your parents nothing. My mother always worked, on a good wage, but as a single parent my lodge made up for the tax credit she lost and the increase in council tax

@RayOfSunshine2013 yes I agree, I got a job at 16 and the money that I earned (although not loads) was my money for saving, socialising, and all those little extras. In my experience everyone who had a job at school, this was what they used the money for as well, i just never heard anyone who had to use that money to keep the electric on for example.

@OneRingToRuleThemAll

It often happens when families are on benefits and lose £££ when the child leaves school.

I name changed for this post.

I remember being told sternly by my mother that she was losing the child benefit, the family premium and her other benefits when I reached a certain age. After that she only got benefits for herself to live on.

She had no problem telling me she was not obliged to keep me anymore. I found that very upsetting as she was telling me she had no responsibility towards me because the state no longer paid her benefits for me.

She basically stopped looking after me by about 16. If I wanted money for my bus pass to college or clothes I had to work for the money and she took some of that.

When I worked in University summer holidays (to supplement the low loans and grants that didnt even cover my hall fees) she took it.

It was all about her and what she didn't have rather than wanting help her daughter.

She had the option of working but didn't take it as she wouldn't get benefits and housing benefit and she preferred living on that.

At my university graduation I paid for my robes, an outfit to wear, my photographs, the lunch, a dress for her to wear to my graduation and shoes and my certificate frames. A family friend came along too and gave me a present or I would have had nothing for the day and would have paid for everything.

Its a shit way to feel as a teen that you're obliged to assist your mother and not expect anything simply because your mother couldn't be arsed to work.

I am 28. My 3 siblings and I all contributed from age 16. Not loads but a bit of what we earned.
Our mother wouldn't have been able to afford the upkeep otherwise. We owned a pub and had to work a minimum of hours a week too (unpaid). Never thought it weird considering everything she did for us (lifts to friends/town, paid for the Internet which she never used). It did me the world of good. Prepared me for the real world of renting at 18 and I was a homeowner by 23. I totally put this down to the respect for money she taught me.

There are some families that would need to take any contributions offered, yes.

I think, on the other thread, people were more commonly talking about not being able to fund their teens "wants". So, if their 16-18 yr olds want fancier phones, or trainers or make up, or if they want to go to concerts or festivals, or whatever it is they want to spend money on, then the parents don't have money 'spare' to fund that sort of thing, rather than needing the cash for their supermarket shop or their electricity meter.

Plus, of course, there are plenty of parents out there that want their dc to know that that single concert ticket or one branded pair of trainers actually costs 20 hours of working in a supermarket or whatever it is.

My dc will still be in school at age 19 so I won't expect them to contribute to my finances but they will most probably (like I did) work from age 16 for their own experience and fun money. I worked from age 13 not because I had to but because I wanted to. And no I don't know any teens who have to work so they can support their family...but that's NOT to say it doesn't happen. It probably does happen quite a bit!!

My ds is at college and has a part time job but I don’t take any money from him and still pay for everything like his phone bill, bus pass and give him lunch money. The money he earns he spends on fun stuff or saves. I wouldn’t say we were well off but we manage and I will not take money off my dc until they are in full time employment and then the plan is to save it to give back to them towards a house deposit.

My ds was completely shocked when talking to another college student who has to pay his parents 2/3 of his wages. The boy works most evenings during the week and then works a second job at the weekend on top of college. Since my ds told me I haven’t been able to stop thinking of how tough this boy has it. It is a disgrace how some families have so much and others have so little. Money really is the root of all evil.

When my grandparents stopped getting benefits for me I had to pay my own way. They weren't being nasty or horrible or anything like that, they just didn't have any money (they'd unexpectedly had to take us in when I was 7).

For health reasons my Grandad got benefits and my Nana was his carer. They had the basic amounts to live on and it wasn't exactly easy to split money meant for two to feed and clothe three.

And we were quite lucky in that their mortgage had been paid off before ill health hit. If they'd been having rent paid and they'd lost a chunk of that they'd have needed to either move somewhere smaller (and I'd have had to fidn somewhere of my own) or I'd have had to make a bigger contribution.

Never expected any DC of mine in full time education to work and give me money. Even in their twenties. Once they have their doctorates and first real job, then they’d be living independently. But up to that point, I feel it’s mine and DHs responsibility as parents to support them.
Yes, if your DC leaves education at a younger age and starts full time work, then I suppose that comes earlier. But education is very important in our family so it’s not going to happen to any one as a teenager.

Mine don't usually as at Uni.

100% agree - I find it very strange but maybe I was just lucky.

Maybe if I was in a situation where I was struggling to pay the bills and put food on the table I’d reconsider. I think I’d have probably laughed if I was told to pay to live at home, and I was there until I was 20, despite working full time from 16 I was earning less than £1000 a month when I first started working so this was mine for spending/going out/ holidays but I did have to then buy my own clothes sometimes and I voluntarily paid half towards my car and horses.