Glad I don't share culture similarities with regards to this aspect, lol.

In some regards: at 16 one can marry, smoke, and join the Army; but you can't drive, get the usual minimum wage or buy alcoholic drinks. Well, unless things have changed since I was around that age, which is possible.

Sorry. I live in the US, so I guess I'm still stuck in my own laws. :facepalm:


@ OP: Either way, it's less than 1/6 of your earnings if you work 5 days per week. Not that bad.

Which is a bit BS if yuo think about it. Your parents can kick you out, but you can't earn a living wage. I guess the idea is that they get into the job market by undercutting those who are older than them.

*cheers for driving at 16 in US*




It is. "Ok, now. We're kicking you out, but you can't drive yourself to work or earn advlt wages. kthxbai."

I really hope that happens to no one. My parents have told me that "I will have a room in their house" until I finish college (hopefully at Georgia Tech or Harvard if I'm super lucky).

I think the taxing is different though, so it balances out.

I think.

Oh. Not as bad in that case.

Well, I know it's allowed, but do you know why your mom is doing it? If she has financial troubles and legitimately needs help supporting both you and herself, then hell, you should volunteer your money. But if she just wants some pocket money, I'd be rather pissed if I were you.

What ever happened to parents who needed the extra help just asking their children if they could help? If she's indeed in need of financial assistance forcing you to pay rent is the wrong way to go about it and is just going to push you away from her. Obviously someone with common sense needs to get their ass's in Parliment, because if your old enough to have to pay for your living arrangements, then you should be old enough to be able to use the tools to help provide that cash, like driving and appropriate wage.

I think it's about teaching him responsibility for himself?

Not to mention getting him to contribute to the cost of the food and electricity he's consuming...

So what happens if you refuse? You get thrown out?

I think charging 20 pounds rent is fair. What if he left home? He'd be paying 3 times that amount, then adding power and food bills on top of that.

N0-one seems to be taking into account the fact that we know nothing about the personal side of the situation. Maybe the OP does not contribute anything, i.e chores? Maybe OP is a dike to said mum (NO OFFENSE I know this is going to seem offensive and I'm not saying you are a dike or anything, what I'm trying to point out is that we simply don't know the actual circumstances.) Mum might be struggling, and asking for rent from an employed 16 year old living in her house, when she may be struggling to support said 16 year old on her own, is fair enough.

However as some people have said, I would make sure that money is going towards something good. Pocket money for her isn't a bad thing, mums need a treat every now and again, but if it's just on lots of pointless stuff, then try and reason with her. Tell her you'll put the money towards bills or something, and do it directly yourself. Also, as someone mentioned, if she wants to play the renting game make sure that she fulfils her job as a landlady and provides all necessary repairs and whatever else it's legal to provide as a landlord over there.

Less his parents are just recently divorced, then I wonder how she's been able to support them all this time without said money then? Honestly, it's the parents job to take care of the child, and sixteen is still releativly young, even if their considered an advlt by England's standards. If he's not able to support himself outside of that household, and lacks the means to by law, then theirs no real option for him and it's despicable to be forced to pay in my opinion.

My mate's Mum and Dad do that, but he's got a high paying apprenticeship (its essentially a job), and is making more than 25 quid a week. Seriously, its a bit harsh.

EDIT: Though 20 quid doesn't seem too bad, being honest. Its less than a days work after all.

He's just being asked to contribute to the household as he's working full time, for crying out loud he isn't a helpless baby.



You may have noticed that we've been in a global depression for the last three years, and the cost of living has risen substantially.

Depending on how many days you work a week, then yeah it's perfectly fine.

Her circumstances may have changed recently, maybe she's out of work, maybe costs of food have gone up, if the house they live in is rented, the rent may have gone up. As I said, there are so many different issues involved that we don't know about that it is very difficult to pass judgement. I just think it's a little bit harsh slamming the mother when we have no idea what she's actually having to deal with.

Waaaa Waaaa Waaaa cry me a river. If you don't like what your mother says, then leave. Go somewhere else if you can get rent cheaper.

I am sorry for being crass, but what is your moms side of the story? Why is she charging you rent? I thought Eurpoeans were better than this, so I am so sure this is a selfish mother. If this was in North America, (Canada or US) then I would say the mother was being selfish, but I think mother is doing this to make you learn and you are just being a cry baby. What else can I expect when you write a one line sentence and not explain anything. So as I said, cry me a river. Let me guess, you don't do nothing at home, don't contribute to anything and your mom is trying to give you a learning experiance.

I am hoping you do nothing at home and you contribute to the household. But since you didn't explain, to me it just seems like someone throwing a tantrum.

If you do contribute to the house, and yoiu are not lazy slouch, then I would be shocked at this. A mom who is getting 120 pounds a month is support that is suppose to be going to you, so that 20 pounds a week should be going for your "rent" then. But we don't know where this 120 pounds a month goes to. You are not saying if you see this money or what is being done with it. You don't say what you do at home and you also don't say why she is doing it.

All you ask if it's LEGAL to do so. So to me, you are thrwing a tantrum and whining about it.

So it seems yes it's legal to do so, but is it moral? Well since you didnt ask, we really can't answer since we don't have all the details.

Fair enough, I didn't mean to make it sound like the two reasons I stated were the only 2 options.

Really, you're whining about 20 pounds a week out of 125?

That leaves you with a 105 a week to do what you want with, seems like a fair deal to me OP.

Newsflash: This is what happens in the real world, get used to it.

Man, I thought only having ten bucks a week to do what you want with was the real world...

:sadvaultboy:

As he said, he's working for the holiday, so its not a full time everyday job that he's likely going to continue forever, the situation sounds more of a seasonal type thing. Given that, why hasn't she asked or demanded him to work to help out before hand? why wait until now to force him rent? this to me sounds like a crummy way of dipping into his own hard earned money.

Indeed I have noticed, I live with my fiancee and we struggle just as much as anyone in these hard times, as have both my parents (divorced as well), but when I was living with my father he never demanded or forced me to pay rent to live there and I did what I could to help.



Maybe it has, but personally I've dealt with crummy, money grabbing parents before. My soon-to-be mother in law made my fiancee pay rent, pay for a car to use that was already payed for, as well as help pay bills while they sat on their fat bums and guilted her into keeping their lifestyle up while her step-father drew disability cause he was too lazy to work. Same with my half-brother, who's father pocked the child support money that was meant for my brother and made him support himself and help them as well, in my experience theres alot of parents out there who simply take advantage of their kids and it seems to me that Englands laws just make it easier for them to further that advantage. If their struggling, and he would know it if they were, then I would hope he would help out.



He didn't complain, but simply asked if it was legal like you said, I didn't hear any tantrum, no complaining, just a question and the OP didn't deserve a bereat like that for simply asking a question. Those are bad assumptions and he's given no reason for anyone to believe hes like that.

It is... :sadvaultboy:
I get $160 a week, 50 goes to board, 30 to internet/telephone, 40 for transport.
$40 left over for both booze and food...

His mum could very wsell be an unpleasant character who is going to use the money to pay for booze while sitting about unemployed and doing nothing. She could also genuinely be struggling and at her wits' end. Some people don't know how to deal with some situations. As I said, we simply don't know the circumstances and should reserve judgement rather than assuming the mother is some sort of awful dragon-lady.
She could be an awful dragon-lady, of course.



svcky, is that on the student loan?
I went for $150, 95 goes to rent/power/internet, so I get 55 bucks towards food and miscellaneous expenses, but not booze cause I don't drink.

I feel slightly better now knowing I'm not the only one scraping mold off the walls for food by the end of the week

Wait, you do do that, right...? >_>