Scots parents are bucking the national trend when it comes to forking out pocket money for their kids, a new survey has revealed.
Research has suggested that Scottish children not only receive substantially more than most of their counterparts south of the border on a weekly basis, but they are also getting more than they did this time last year.
Belying the traditional thrifty stereotype, Scots children are pocketing an average of £7.27 on a weekly basis and that’s more than £1 more than the average gained by youngsters in many parts of England and Wales.
Only children in London receive more in the UK, with children in the capital typically getting £7.65 a week.
The survey, which was carried out by Halifax, also revealed that Scottish children are getting 7.5% more than they did in 2014, going against an apparently declining trend elsewhere.
While more than three-quarters (78%) of eight to 15-year-olds who took part in Halifax’s annual pocket money survey still get a weekly payout, this proportion has fallen from 82% who did so when the survey was carried out in 2014 and 84% in 2013.
Despite the improving economy, children are getting 15p a week less on average for their piggy banks than they were a year ago.
Giles Martin, head of Halifax Savings, said: “A fall in the amount of pocket money children receive for the second year running shows the financial pressures that some households are still under, despite the improving economy.
“Nevertheless, parents will be pleased to know that on the whole, children are satisfied with the amount of money they receive.”
Halifax found that the typical weekly payout a child receives now amounts to £6.20, compared with £6.35 in 2014 and £6.50 in 2013.
Continuing a trend seen previously in the survey, boys tend to fare better than girls when it comes to the amount of money received, the research suggests.
Boys said they get £6.25 a week on average, while girls receive £6.14, although Halifax said the “gender gap” has narrowed compared with 2014.
The difference between what boys and girls receive is now 11p a week, whereas in 2014 boys typically received 35p a week more than girls.
Boys were also more likely to be asked to perform chores, such as tidying their bedroom or washing the family car, in return for their weekly payout, while boys tended to be more likely than girls to say they should get more money.
One in four children surveyed think their friends get more pocket money than they do, although the proportion of youngsters who believe their parents ought to cough up more cash has fallen by 2% points on a year ago, to 41%.