Is a quarter of an adult dependants income too much for them to contribute to the household?

[Unacceptable]

How much money is appropriate to take as 'keep'?
We're thinking maybe a quarter of income up to a maximum of £50 but is that unfair?

Certainly if DS was earning a pittance he'd consider 1/4 to be too much but if he was earning a lot £50 would be a lot less than he'd pay out if he rented a flat.
He would then be able to put money away towards a house deposit or whatever.

We're torn between wanting them to be prepared for the expense of independent living while contributing towards the enormous food shopping bill and wanting them to enjoy their money before they have to live in the real world.

What do you charge?

Patapof no, the maintenance grant is for living expenses. His student loan is for the costs of studying. If he lived in halls he would pay this and more, so he is getting a better deal, and the increased amount would not cover it. Do you think we have not looked into this?

Also, he is an ADULT, not a child, and part of teaching your children to be responsible adults is to enable them to stand on their own two feet and not to bail them out all the time.

I see you've decided, but actually think that 25% is pretty low.

A working, grown up child in 99% of cases likes to think of themself as an adult - in which case they need to understand that your wages are there for you to be able to pay your way in life. Which adult has 75% of their wages to fritter away on luxuries / going out / treating self??? None I know.
I don't think you (as in generally, to the people saying they wouldn't take anything, not you OP) are doing them any favours to let them think they have so much spending money.

If my dc come home to live after University, I will be sitting down and working out with them what it would cost for them to live anywhere else - rent, bills, (insurances, utilities, internet, etc.) food, laundry, repairs, sundries they sneak onto the shopping list, and be using that as a starting point for them to negotiate down from.

My parents always asked us for a realistic amount and I'm very glad they did - it meant we all had to learn how to budget, we all had sensible expectations about what we had left to spend after bills, and, as it turns out (but we didn't know this at the time) they were then able to give each of us a generous gift when we bought our first properties, from the money we'd paid that they didn't need for the household budget. I was very grateful for that a) education and b) gift. I think once you've got used to having loads to spend, it's much more difficult to then go without it, once you start paying commercial rent or mortgage and simply don't have that kind of spending money.

i would take more than a quarter, he would be left with a quarter if that, especially if he is profligate with resources.

DS finished sixth form now and I've said I will pay for everything until the beginning of September ie phone etc but from then that will stop and he will have to fund himself. In terms of keep I will ask him for something relative to,what he earns and this has all been long since agreed and he's perfectly happy

Apart from anything else I'm a single parent and will lose 25% single occupancy council tax reduction which alone is £600 pa . Depending on whether he goes to uni next year will depend how I charge him too as actually I don't mind carrying him a bit for a year but not until kingdom come