Pocket money rose 6.7%: what changed in a year
UK children’s total weekly income rose from £9.13 to £9.74, but the regular allowance increased by only 9p. Comparing two Pocket Money Index editions shows where the change really came from.
In our earlier article, we examined the latest Pocket Money Index figures. Comparing the 2025 and 2026 editions reveals a more useful change: the fixed allowance rose only slightly, while total income from several sources grew much faster.
The comparison draws on NatWest Rooster Money data from Rooster Card users: more than 350,000 children in 2025 and over half a million in 2026. These are large but different samples. The figures describe a trend within the service, not a change experienced by every child.1 2
Most of the increase did not come from allowances
| Measure | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular pocket money per week | £3.85 | £3.94 | +£0.09 |
| Total weekly income | £9.13 | £9.74 | +£0.61 |
| Total annual income | £474.76 | £506.48 | +£31.72 |
| Families with a regular allowance | 27.4% | 27.4% | No change |
| Savings assigned to named goals | 54% | 56% | +2 percentage points |
The average regular allowance increased by only 9p, while total weekly income rose by 61p, or 6.7%. The wider measure also includes payments for extra jobs, gifts and one-off rewards. The proportion of families using a regular allowance remained unchanged at 27.4%.
A fixed allowance still gives a child predictability and something to plan around. Extra earnings serve a different purpose: they connect effort with reward and can shorten the time needed to reach a goal.
The average rose, but not at every age
Regular pocket money for six-year-olds fell from £2.81 to £2.69 a week. For 17-year-olds, it fell from £8.31 to £7.95. “Pocket money increased” is therefore true only of the average across children aged 6 to 17.
Age figures are useful context, not a price list. They do not account for family income, local prices or what the child must buy with the money. UK amounts are not a universal benchmark.
Rates for jobs moved in both directions
Lawn mowing remained the highest-paid job, although its average reward fell from £3.68 to £3.52. Car washing edged up from £3.33 to £3.36, while window cleaning rose from £1.54 to £1.65. Gardening moved the other way, from £1.66 to £1.38. Dog walking increased from £1.04 to £1.15.
The transferable lesson is not the price in pounds. A longer, less frequent or more physically demanding job will usually justify a higher reward than a short everyday responsibility.
Savings became slightly more goal-directed
In 2025, children assigned 54% of the money they saved to named goals. In 2026, that share reached 56%. The leading goal changed too: holidays and travel overtook gaming, “saving for the future” came second and gaming moved to third place.
This does not prove that children saved more overall. The 2026 release does not provide a directly comparable annual savings amount. It shows only a small increase in the share of savings given a specific purpose.
A practical structure for families
A workable pocket-money system has three parts: a small regular allowance, separate rewards for extra jobs and a named goal with visible progress. In PocketPal, parents can record jobs and rewards, approve completed work and show how much has been set aside for a chosen goal.
The important question is not the one “correct” amount. It is whether the system is clear: what arrives regularly, what can be earned through extra effort and what the child is choosing to wait for.