Charging rent

[brooklyn11]

My daughter has tried college but has decided it isn't the right option for her.
She is now going down the apprenticeship route. She has a few interviews over the next few weeks so fingers crossed.

However my dilemma is I am now going to be losing child benefit, universal credit and child maintenance for her. This equates to just under £550 per month. I am a single mother and she is my oldest and I have two younger children. Is it unreasonable to expect her to pay an amount per week for her living at home? It feels rubbish that when she is only 16 I have to think about it but I can't see any other way for me to be able to manage. If she gets the job she's hoping to get tomorrow I would also have to take and pick her up due to location which will be using more fuel. Her phone bill is £35 aswell do I expect her to now pay for this on top or paying me anything.

My mum always charged me rent and they had two incomes and one young child but I feel culture has changed with this respect from what I've read from similar posts.

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Personally I don't think an under 18 should ever pay rent, but it sounds like you don't have much choice in this case.

If she gets an apprenticeship, she will be earning. You can't ask her for 550 but definitely 200 pounds a month.

How much will she be making?

I think she's old enough for a frank discussion... when you were at school I recieved X benefits. This paid for your food, clothes etc. This money still needs to come from somewhere etc

I personally wouldn’t charge a 16 year old rent, she’s still a child. But, if you need the money then would ask for costs to cover her main expenses now she’s working, so the travel to and from work, her phone contract, clothes and anything else she wants.

What extra does she cost you apart from those things? Maybe a contribution to food too.

I thought you still got child benefit if they were doing an apprenticeship, it's still considered education

No it is considered as working.

Well if she's out working and earning then yes you'll need her to pay something. Some households can afford not to have her paying anything but you're going to lose a lot money. I don't think it's wrong to ask her for £50 a week or even more if you really need it. Sit down and explain what money has stopped and why you need her to pay something now.

When I was out working full time at 16 in the early noughties, I only earned about £475 a month after deductions and my friend earned similar. I had mine all to myself, but my friend's parents took £200 a month from her despite them both working full time. They never even had food for her to make a packed lunch for work. She would spend the remaining money mainly getting to/from work and buying her lunch! Some folk just see it as the norm even if they can afford them not to pay.

You can certainly "charge" her the child benefit and uc but child maintenance is from her dad, surely he will realise he can't stop that on an apprenticeship wage. Or could she live with him?

Thank you for all your responses.

She did get the apprenticeship job and starts tomorrow. We have had a discussion and agreed she'll pay £50 a week towards her food etc. I will keep paying her phone bill at the minute but once she's got her head round everything I'll be expecting her to pay for it as well.

I'm shocked at the amount of money I will be losing if I'm honest and it's hard to expect her to pay but she'll be earning just over £1k per month so I don't feel is unreasonable. I already work full time myself on a good wage but the money just goes with the cost of eberhtifk

Her dad has said he will pay maintenance at the same amount for as long as he can afford too so that helps things.

I still feel rubbish about taking money off her but I don't see any other choice unfortunately and she seems ok with it.

Thank you for all your advice ☺️

Honestly, I think you've made the right decision. I worked from 16 on a YTS scheme earning £35 a week and used to give my mum £10! It taught me a lot about the value of money. I will do the same with my children. Hopefully I won't need the money and can put it in savings for them, but either way I think it teaches them responsibility.

Sounds like a sensible plan and a good dad to continue also paying as long as he can.