To ask my 18 year old for board.

Totally agree. It’s mind-boggling how narrow minded that cohort can be.

With the cost of living the way it is I don't think it's a massive ask and if he doesn't like it he could always move out and see just how expensive that option is.

Amazing, yes.

Why don’t we all kick out our 17 year old sixth formers, and let the tax payer pick up the pieces.

It’s pretty scary how many people are actually suggesting kicking a 17 year old school child out of their home.

i’d be interested to know if responses would suggest this if it was a stepson they were kicking out of their home.

way to make your kids feel welcome.

I’m a bit split. I didn’t pay board until CB stopped and then I was paying the equivalent to about £80 a week to my dad who didn’t work and smoked and drank all day. I was not living a life of luxury! I did resent it but never said a word of complaint.

Like other posters, I will support my DC whilst they are in full time education but once working I will be charging board. If I needed the money whilst they were studying, and they had a well paid PT job I would probably not charge board (unless I had to) but stop paying for phone, toiletries and clothes etc.

We didn't charge DS1 board from his pt job before he went to uni and we won't charge DS2.
After two shit years missing out on so much due to Covid, I was happy for him to spend his money on nights out and holidays and take the rest to uni.
We're lucky in that we can manage without.
If we were struggling I might rethink.

@Sep200024 I know a woman who has done that numerous times with her children. She has a huge family and as soon as they hit 16 she boots them out and they end up in SS accommodation.

I paid board as did my two eldest kids. It sets kids up for the real world of paying rent

@Wolfbane523 when you were still at school you paid board? Did your parents stop claiming Child Benefit (or Child Allowance as it used to be called).
Did you stop claiming for your children when they paid board while still at school?

I love how people are acting like child benefit covers the cost of how much humans actually cost a week 😂

@Kladebs of course child benefit doesn't really cover the costs of raising a child - mine barely all lasts 3 days rather than a whole month.
But the point is if a parent is claiming Child Benefit it means their child is still in full time education and therefore a 'school child'. This can include 'college' up until the end of the academic year they turn 19.
Therefore they are not fully financially independent 'adults'.
Once they have left school/college I would see no problems in charging rent/board. But while at school/college doing A-Levels - no.

Would it be better for child to have £900 in their pocket but face homelessness because mum can't pay rent? Use a food bank? Have no heat or light? At what point would you say the 18 year old should help out?

@jannier that would be different circumstances and the parents should (hopefully) be entitled to other benefits on top of CB.
I don't think that applies in the OPs case.

They're not being asked to be fully financially independent adults, they're being asked to make a small contribution to the household if they're working and earning a good amount.

@Kladebs the 17 year old in this case is saving for university costs.
I do agree he should be funding 'extras' that he wants - gym memberships, driving lessons, extra clothes, fancy toiletries, snack foods, extra food if he isn't eating family meals, trip to the cinema, smart phone when he could have a basic one or whatever but he shouldn't be relied on for paying household bills while still at school.

Ok, you need to clarify OP
is your DS still below “school” leaving age at 18 (ie since law changed in 2015)?
if so, he has to be in college/school to end of this academic year to finish his course even though he’s over 18 (just)
ok, he might be at college, but this is a sixth form type college and secondary, not tertiary education.

in that case

1. you can continue to receive child benefit
2. you should not be expecting a child, you decided to have, to support you financially whilst in secondary education. It is actually a bit outrageous imho. You wait till your child leaves school/secondary education legally before asking them to contribute
3. he is obviously hard working to earn this money- and him saving it for university will help you in longer term . Him earning that sort of money will also help you in longer term, as a strong work ethic will stand him in good stead to not to have to come back home to live post uni graduation
4. you do know, unless you are very low income, you are still required to support him financially through university/tertiary education if below 25? Your household income is used to calculate his maintenance loan and the government basis that on you as parent making that amount up to the equivalent of the full loan. Depending on his degree he may not be able to continue to earn at level he is currently whilst studying his course and will need more support from you. Taking money from him now is a complete waste of time if he will put it into his own university funding savings.
5. how is an 18 year old, who is still in secondary education earning that sort of money? Does this mean he is spending less time on his studies than he should? If so that isn’t great and there needs to be a balance you impose. Earning money isn’t the be all and end all at that age. Ok, I realise that if he is on a work apprentice type scheme as his secondary studies, then he may well earn this…but then I don’t understand how after 2 years he’s dropping that and going to uni instead…I’m prepared to be enlightened on this..🤷🏼‍♀️

Because we do not, in this country use child labour to support families for kids still in primary or secondary education.
if the family is struggling so much for the essentials , it is the parents responsibility , not their child, to sort this out.
Their child is in secondary duration for a purpose - and that’s their “job” - not supporting the rest of their family.
most families would be paying an 18 year old, still in secondary education, an allowance for personal spends, mobile phone, clothes etc…fair enough to ask him to cover these expenses himself and stop the personal allowance - aside form bare essentials like undies, basic shoes, work/school ware.

Clearly a parent who didn’t get the memo thst the law changed in 2015 to raise the school leaving age to 18 ? 🤦‍♀️

Fgs..he’s still in secondary education ..he can’t go and get a full time job, it’s a giant the law at that age🤦‍♀️

So better he's homeless starving or freezing .....many would be sending him to work next year not uni.....the realities in this country is we have working parents who are living in poverty and we've always had 16 year olds working and having their own families. Nobody is saying it's ideal but we do what we need to do for all to survive....the government needs to sort stuff out but they won't.

It's fine. Adults have to pay bills. Getting used to that is a good thing. If he's earning then it seems fair to me.

I wouldn't ask for board while they are still in sixth form college.

@Newlifestartingatlast the leaving age has never been raised to 18.
In England the recommendation (as in there's no legal consequences if none of these happen) is -
Stay at school or college and do A-Levels or alternative/equivalent qualification.
Do an apprenticeship.
Work or volunteer at least 20 hours a week while part time studying.
So with the third option a 16/17 year old could work full time (40 hours a week) while taking a college course for an hour each week. They could drop the college class and there would be zero consequences.
The statutory school leaving age is still 16.

£80 a month is fine, never too early to learn about budgeting and bill paying.

@Newlifestartingatlast that's very difficult to regulate and I say that as a teacher. If a child leaves during sixth form to work at say, Wetherspoons, as my second son did there is nothing the school can do about it apart from advise not to.
My my ex neighbour. None of her children were accessing 6th form. They could barely access school and they live in varying supported accommodation/ living.
It's really sad. She has over 10 children. Is known to SS and does it every time. As soon as she loses cash they go. She isn't the only one who does it where I live either.