18 year old 'pocket money' amount

[MrsJa]

How much should just turned 18 year old DS get as pocket money per month.

Is still at college, works part time getting at least £600 per month before overtime added.

No board to pay.
Eats food from home but pays for own driving lessons and meals out with friends.

We pay for holidays.

What are peoples thoughts/ opinions?

They do better in exams in they have some work, apparently. Some research from about 7 years ago, I seem to remember.

DM made me work out what I needed in a spreadsheet. Including transport to and from school, clothing, toiletries, presents etc. That became my allowance. I could earn money in the holidays (Saturday school so no weekend job) and get that or have £nil. Yes, DM and DDad were well off and could do so. I hope to do the same whilst DSs are in full time education. I’ve never been out of work, overspent my budget or any of the other terrible things Mumsnet thinks will happen if you do this.

Thanks for the responses.
Yes its minimum wage job but college finishes next month.

I'm shocked to hear it's nothing to be given in most cases!

DS now 18 and leaving college means DH's CSA payments for him will stop so we thought we would now directly give him some money as it was money coming out anyway. DS lives with his mum as his friends are all there nearby but will stay with us and his siblings for a night or 2 in the half term breaks and comes on our caravan holiday.

It just feels like we should give him something.

No pocket money needed. But would live to know where he works so I can get my ds a job there!
In all seriousness most part time / student jobs are minimum wage so I'm guessing he's working about 20 hrs pw? That's a lot with studying as well.

You don't still give pocket money when they're 18!😂

Then give him something. You don’t need to listen to mumsnetters, many of whom I find very harsh and tight with their teens. 😬. It’s different if you can’t afford to give, but if you can and they’re sensible, I think it’s fine.

We have always given money when they’re in education even when they’re working part time. My kids are excellent with money and save every month from earnings/allowance.

If you really want to give him money save it up for him instead in an ISA or something and give him it for something meaningful.
He has more than enough disposable income as it is ! My son only earns £100 pcm ( he isn't 18'till August) and I pay for his food, phone clothes and driving lessons (we bought his car when he was 17 and will pay for insurance when he passes) and give him £20 Pw to spend and he manages.

If you want to do something for him put the money in a savings account in case he wants to go to uni or to help him buy his first care. 18 year olds don't get given pocket money.

Put it in an ISA and save for his future. He will l want a car or house deposit some day so no harm in saving if that’s what you want.

I feel it is better to teach them to put the money in an ISA themselves and then make them responsible for it? As an 18yo adult, it’s a bit late for their mum to be micro-managing long term savings for them.

If you still get CB, you could give him that or save it for him in a bank account.

Another vote for nothing... while in education I did pay for driving lessons, gym membership and mobile phone bills...

Save it for him unless he’s good at saving already; he doesn’t need more spending money. Most teens with a job that I know of pay for their own driving lessons, apart from getting some as birthday/xmas presents.

He's 18 not 15 ! Crikey absolutely no money whatsoever

We stopped giving the dc money when they started earning. The older two had already graduated when they decided to learn to drive, so payed for all their own lessons. We were paying for ds3’s driving lessons until he got his gap year job, at which point we stopped, by mutual agreement. I now feel a bit mean, having read the thread!

@MrsJa Your original post was misleading which is why you got so many 'nothing' type replies. Having read your update, which clarifies that he doesn't live with you I would say that you should wait and see what happens when he is finished college.

His Mum may well require him to pay some money towards his 'board' when the CSA payments stop. She will also be losing Child Benefit for him possibly, but he may increase his hours etc.

You may therefore decide to e.g. pay for his driving lessons. 18 year olds don't get 'pocket money' but he may well need some support for paying for 'extra's' like his phone or other things, depending how much board his Mum decides he needs to pay and if he needs some support as a result, then pay for particular things.

If he doesn't need financial support, then I agree with others, put the money aside for him in a high interest savings account to help him buy a car, or rent his first accommodation etc. when he does move out from his Mum's

2k a month. Anything less is unacceptable.

If their surname is Musk, Gates or Bezos, sure

Why didn’t you say in your OP he lives with his mum?

You’ve made it sound like you pay for most his food and board.

Why have you even got your eyes on how much he earns?

And do you mean his mum pays for his holidays?

What an annoying, misleading thread.

What a misleading post after your drip feed update!

You should have stated that this was in lieu of his father sending CMS, and that you were not his mother and he did not live with you.

You'd have got very different responses.

I would have replied "nothing", had I thought you were the mother he lived with.

Now that I know otherwise, I think it would be nice for him to put the CMS amount, or a smaller amount depending on how much it was and your own finances, into an ISA for him, then you can surprise him when he wants to leave home and rent or buy a house, or buy his first car etc.

As another PP said, his Mum may need him to start paying board as she'll be losing the CMS to cover his living costs.

Or you could offer to fund his driving lessons, if he needs to help his mother with board.

Why give any pocket money at 18 ? Old enough to get a job

18 erm doesn't need pocket money they work

If you are set on contributing towards him financially, do it through savings rather than pocket money.

It's good his father still wants to contribute towards his son, even though CMS has stopped. His mother is obviously still covering his living costs. Does he have a savings account that you could add to?