How Much Pocket Money by Age in the UK?

If you've ever wondered how much pocket money by age is normal in the UK, you're in good company — it's one of the most common questions parents ask, and there's no official answer. What we do have is data from large annual surveys, which give a useful picture of what families actually tend to give at different ages. This guide shares those figures, honestly attributed, and explains why they're best treated as context rather than a target to hit.

It pairs with our wider guide on teaching kids about money, if you want the bigger picture.

There's no fixed rule

First, the honest bit: no authority sets a "correct" amount of pocket money. What's right depends on your household budget, your child's age, what you expect them to pay for themselves, and your own values. Two thoughtful families can land on very different numbers and both be doing fine.

So the figures below aren't a benchmark you're failing if you don't match. They're simply a snapshot of what's common — helpful for sanity-checking your own decision.

What UK surveys report

One of the most widely cited trackers is the NatWest Rooster Money Pocket Money Index. Its 2025 edition — published in June 2025 and based on activity from more than 350,000 of its child accounts between March 2024 and February 2025 — reported an overall average of £9.13 a week across children aged 6 to 17, a small dip of around 1% on the year (source: NatWest Group).

That headline figure mixes together everything children received — regular pocket money plus money earned from chores, gifts and the like. Looking specifically at regular, routine pocket money, the same index put the average at about £3.85 a week.

How it changes with age

Unsurprisingly, the amount tends to rise as children get older. The 2025 Rooster Money index reported regular pocket money climbing from around £2.81 a week at age 6 to roughly £8.31 a week by age 17. In other words, it broadly increases year on year through childhood — though the exact step between each age isn't something the survey publishes, so we won't invent per-year figures here.

For a sense check against another source, the children's card provider GoHenry has reported broadly similar overall weekly averages in its own studies (as covered by LBC). Different providers measure slightly different things and slightly different groups of families, so the numbers never match exactly — which is a good reminder to hold any single figure loosely.

What actually drives the "right" amount

Rather than anchoring on an average, it's usually more useful to think about a few practical factors:

What you can sustain. Consistency matters more than the number. A smaller amount you never miss beats a generous one that stops and starts.
What it's meant to cover. If an older child is expected to buy some of their own treats, snacks or bus fares, their amount will naturally be higher than a younger child's "practice" money.
Your household budget. Pocket money should fit your finances, full stop.
Frequency. Younger children often do better with smaller weekly amounts; teens can handle less frequent, larger sums that require planning.

Turning the number into a habit

The amount matters far less than what your child does with it. Whatever figure you land on, the value comes from the routine around it — dividing money into save, spend and give; being consistent with timing; and letting your child feel the results of their own choices.

If you're building that routine, our guide to how to set up an allowance system for kids at home walks through the practical setup. And as children get older and start saving toward bigger goals, seeing it all in one place can help.

That's part of what Famyance — a family budgeting app, "the financial home for modern families" — is built for. Its Kid Mode is a feature for bringing children into age-appropriate parts of the family's money picture, such as tracking an allowance or a savings goal together. It's worth being clear: Kid Mode is not a prepaid card and not a child bank account (products like GoHenry, NatWest Rooster Money and nimbl are prepaid cards — a different kind of product). Famyance works through manual entry and uploaded statements rather than bank connections. You can create your free account if you'd like to try it.

FAQ

What's the average pocket money in the UK? The NatWest Rooster Money Pocket Money Index 2025 reported an overall average of about £9.13 a week for children aged 6–17 (including chore and gift money), with regular routine pocket money averaging around £3.85 a week. Averages vary by survey.

How much should I give my child specifically? There's no official answer. Pick an amount that fits your budget and what you expect them to cover, and that you can give consistently. The surveys are context, not a rule.

Does pocket money increase with age? Generally, yes. The 2025 Rooster Money figures showed regular pocket money rising from roughly £2.81 a week at age 6 to about £8.31 a week at 17.

Should I match the national average? Not necessarily. An average is a snapshot of what others do, not a standard you need to meet. What matters more is consistency and the habits you build around it.

Famyance provides budgeting, spending, and cash-flow insights for informational purposes only. It does not provide financial, investment, tax, legal, lending, credit, insurance, or regulated advice.