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?

It’s a nice thing to consider. Would the money go direct to him or his mum in place of CSA?

I pay/have paid my teenagers of same age £20 per week, part time work is their bonus to use as they wish (ideally if they have uni plans I would expect them to build up savings to take to uni with them, which is what my son did when he went off In September). I also pay for transport to college and provide an additional lunch allowance. In addition I paid for both of mine for driving lessons. I don’t believe pocket money should stop whilst in education. My daughter having passed her test has chosen to run a car so her earnings from her part time job have funded insurance costs on her car (funds for car purchase from child trust fund).

Zero from the point ours started working at 13 they got no pocket money.

they paid for their own cars and driving lessons we paid for the theory and first test.

when they went to uni we topped up their loan so they had a minimum standard of living and fun but beyond that they worked.

eldest currently at uni in Malaysia so not even topping up as loan gives her plenty.

Nothing! I'd cover his bus pass and phone but no pocket money, because he's working now.

He should be paying you!

I think it would be helpful for you to pay for the driving lessons, test, and then insurance on first car until he is working full time. Mum might start to charge him board if dad is stopping payments to her despite the boy living there still, so things might change more than you are currently aware.

He's an adult with a job. So nothing! I was paying my mum rent at that age when I was working.

I'd put the csa money in a savings account for him if you won't miss it to help save towards a house deposit or car when he's passed.

If he doesn't need the money it's not necessary to give him more.

If he's off to uni you can provide the money towards that.

I'm another who doesn't think providing is an issue and am not against giving adult children money I'm just very much on the side of only having what you need to spend and providing extra can be much about saving as it is giving.

This is also a good point worth considering

Nothing. My 17 year old gets none as she too works part time and has about £500 in wages a month.

Still in FTE I would pay for bus pass, SIM only phone contract (phones themselves in our house are presents or hand me downs), driving lessons and basic midweek lunches.
I would probably also pay for basic clothes if needed.
I would also encourage my DC to save some of those earnings if they could.

Keep paying CSA to his mum whilst he's training. Maybe reduce it a bit as he should be paying a token amount of rent eg £100-200pm. Because she's housing him. Put the difference in savings for driving lessons or a car.
I think that's the respectful adult thing to do.

I agree. So many men just stop paying when it's no longer compulsory, and meanwhile the mum is still keeping a roof over the young adult's head and paying the bills.
18 year old has enough spending money, unless he's giving it to his mum for his keep

This is such a stupid and misleading thread. You've made it sound like he lives with you and wants pocket money from you. Then you drip feed that he actually lives with his mum and the child support that your husband pays is ending. Why not write it truthfully in your first post?

Obviously nothing??? He’s an adult, he should be paying you!

No he shouldn't. He doesn't live with them. OP came back and said that actually he lives with his mum and they're wondering if they should carry on paying child support after he turns 18

No he shouldn't, he doesn't even live with them.

Is this a joke? He's got more disposable income than many families do!

I wouldn’t have gotten pocket money at this age & while working. But my parents did pay for my driving lessons.

Definitely no need to give pocket money when he’s earning £600 a month. But if you have money to spare putting some aside in a savings account for when he wants to buy a car or house or whatever will be good. Having any more disposable income will just give him unrealistic expectations when he does enter the real world.

Pay for his driving lessons.

It’s a disservice to give an 18 year old (with a job and living at home) pocket money.

We stopped giving DS pocket money as soon as he started his first weekend job when he was 16. He is now18 and has stopped work to concentrate on A level exams. He is now living off of his savings but we will help him out if he asks.

We do still pay for his phone contract and hair cuts and buy him essential clothing and shoes ( if he wants designer stuff he has to buy that himself) He runs a car and we help out if anything goes wrong with it.

He is hopefully starting an apprenticeship in September and we've already had a chat about how much rent we will charge him.

I would say zero, at 18 I went to college mon-fri. Worked weekends and in the holidays, I didn't pay rent and my mum paid for my travel to college and work. She didn't give me extra money, if I needed something and didn't have much money that month then she would help me out, but I didn't get "pocket money"

Maybe offer to pay for driving lessons.