The Gender Pay Gap Starts Early: Boys Get More Pocket Money Than Girls

The gender pay gap starts way before entering the world of work, new research suggests. A study of just over 500 parents and kids found boys get more pocket money than girls for both household chores and good behaviour.

On average, boys receive £6.99 for carrying out household chores, while girls only get £4.67. The survey, carried out by Santander, also found a big difference between the amount children are paid for good behaviour, with boys getting £8.28 compared to girls only getting £4.18.

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When asked about saving, almost nine in 10 (89%) of boys who get pocket money said they like to save the money they receive from their parents, compared to just over three quarters (77%) of girls.

Interestingly, the survey also revealed parents are dishing out “fines” and reducing pocket money if kids fail to carry out what’s expected of them. Nearly one fifth (20%) of parents surveyed said they would take money away from their kids for failing to complete chores and one sixth (15%) would deduct pennies from pocket money if their child had behaved badly at school.

Some parents also applied “tax” to children’s earnings and a further 42% of parents who pay pocket money said they would “consider taxing” their children and believe this to be a great way to prepare them for the real world.

Differences in “income” were clear across the UK in the study, with children in London being given an average of £26.70 basic pocket money per month, against a national average of £18.36.

This isn’t the first time a gender gap has been noted in pocket money. In January 2018, the Childwise Monitor 2018 report found girls got less than boys. In their larger survey of 2,000 children from schools across the UK, boys cited receiving £12.60 per week on average (£10.70 last year), while girls said they got £9.80 (up from £8.50 last year). Overall, children were reported to get £11.20 a week on average.

At the time, many parents responding on HuffPost UK’s Facebook page said they thought the average figure of £11.20 seemed very high. Some said they didn’t give their children pocket money at all, instead saving up for experiences. “My daughter is seven and doesn’t get any pocket money,” wrote one mum. “She doesn’t need it and I can’t afford to give her money weekly. However we do save up for special things and she gets a treat when we can afford it.”

And another mum wrote: “My 11-year-old can earn £5 a week as long as he does all his chores every day. No chores, no money. My nine-year-old can earn £3 a week if she does hers all week.”

How much pocket money do you give your kids? What do think of the pocket money pay gap? Let us know your thoughts below or email ukparents@huffpost.com.

Before You Go

Yes, You CAN Make A Family Walk Fun

Don't say 'who wants to go for a walk?'(01 of08)

Reframe a walk so it's enticing and exciting using words like explore, play, adventure.Who wants to climb a castle or who wants to find some treasure or skim stones? (credit:Alexander Nicholson via Getty Images)

Don't plod in a straight line - and back again.(02 of08)

Choose a wiggly walk and terrain made for adventuring. "It's all about keeping children's minds off putting one foot in front of another," says Clare Lewis. (credit:Stephen Lux via Getty Images)

Always have an appealing destination - and make pit-stops along the way.(03 of08)

It could be a café with their favourite hot chocolate or their 'secret' place like a climbing tree. Make regular stops to admire natural curiosities, make a den, whittle a stick or play in water or whatever you fancy. Encourage your kids to take photos. Clare Lewis's family always take 'scroggin'; a New Zealand name for a hikers' mix of nuts and seeds, dried fruit and chocolate to keep energy levels up. (credit:ArtMarie via Getty Images)

Join forces with another family or get the kids to bring their friends.(04 of08)

Children love the sociability of a walk and bringing friends increases their activity as they challenge each other to jump the highest or widest, splash in puddles, climb trees or find the best stick. (credit:Alistair Berg via Getty Images)

Walk together in a chatty clod, not a single line with you barking 'come on, keep up'(05 of08)

There may be times you have to walk in a line, but take turns with who's the leader. Also, let your children choose the route (within reason!). (credit:Bounce via Getty Images)

Play games as you go.(06 of08)

Hide-and-seek, capture the flag or ambushes - sending kids on ahead so they can jump out on you - are all favourites. Bring a ball or a Frisbee to play with too. (credit:JLPH via Getty Images)

Turn your walk into a treasure hunt. Or an obstacle course.(07 of08)

Children love places to clamber over like a rocky beach or challenges like climbing trees or jumping over streams. Challenge children to touch that tree and run back, hopscotch between the pavement cracks or run along the low wall. "You could go on a shape walk, finding stones, shells and leaves that are all the same shape," suggests Clare Lewis, co-author of Adventure Walks for Families in and Around London. (credit:Imgorthand via Getty Images)

End on a high.(08 of08)

Match a walk to your kids' ages. You don't want want to leave them exhausted. Talk up what fun you had, so next time you suggest an adventure walk they leap at the chance. (credit:ArtMarie via Getty Images)