- Verdicts
- Is it tight not to pay kids for chores?
Am I being tight?FamilyFrom the Vouchernaut deskMonday 9 November
Is it tight not to pay kids for chores?
Our note
In its 2026 Pocket Money Index, NatWest Rooster Money found that 30% of children using its service did chores as a condition of getting pocket money. The findings come from Rooster Card users, rather than a national poll. Children aged 6 to 17 on the service received £9.74 a week on average overall. I also checked Rooster Money's index hub on 30 October 2026: regular pocket money alone averaged £3.94 a week, excluding chores and other top-ups. That distinction matters when comparing what families pay.
Parents and children do not all see chores the same way. In Halifax research from 2020, 44% of parents thought pocket money should depend on chores, while 55% of children felt they should get money regardless. Barclays research published in 2021 found 74% of parents thought children appreciate money more when they earn it through household chores. Yet 17% said helping at home is part of family life and should not be paid. The family expectation around shared work, and whether pocket money has already been promised, shapes this one.
Replies
No replies yet
Replies are readers' own views. House rules
More verdicts
Am I being tight?Family31 Oct
Is it tight not to buy sweets for trick-or-treaters?
Too few votes for a verdict (3 votes)
Am I being tight?Family29 Oct
Is £3 a week pocket money tight for a 10-year-old?
2 votes
Am I being tight?Family29 Oct
Is £1 from the tooth fairy tight?
2 votes