Poll: What age should you be seen as independent of your parents?

[applesandoranges]

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[bobmus]

I understand, although I'm shocked that you can get a government loan at all where you live if your parents are rich.

And what I'm saying is your parents should kick in to help with your costs so that there is more money to go around, like I said. If they also loaned rich kids money then they would have to lend less to those poor kids. No need to subsidize the rich.

Also I'd say I have a better off chance of paying back my loan faster, which would be an improvement from the point of view of a taxpayer. Also it seems obvious that richer people will have payed a greater amount in tax, so why should their kids get screwed over in dividing out taxpayer's money?

You help those who have a need. Tax benefits aren't higher for those that pay in more, now that wouldn't make any sense.

Just want to clarify that my family isn't rich, my dad just has a fairly good income - my parents live in an expensive area and have sent both myself and my sister to private schools. There's no money sitting around to be spent here, it's costing them to house me, which they could very reasonably have said they didn't want to do?
Also, I live in England, and go to university in London, one of the most expensive cities to live in...

 

[Relish in Chaos]

As others have mentioned, when you're not dependent on them for housing, money, etc., which should be around the age of 18.

Unless, you know, you go to college. A very time consuming and financially stressful period that is very difficult to go through on your own.

OT: I'm 21 and I'm still dependent on my parents. Because I'm learning stuff and it's hard. I don't really feel bad about it because I am my parent's retirement plan. Also because my university tuition has been 0 dollars for all four years. And when I go to law school in August, I have a half tuition scholarship. (FUCK YEAH!)

To be honest, it was a pretty arbitrary estimate anyway. Legally, you're considered an adult at 18 (21 in some other countries), but it probably depends on socio-economic factors.

 

[Bvenged]

Hmm, this is a very difficult question to answer because it depends on the situation and the individual at hand.

Most Uni students living away year 1 onwards would say at 18/19 years old, as the loan and a part-time job should sort you out. BUT, in this economic environment, that in itself is a massive variable. Quite a few of my friends are living away on the maintenance loan just fine, but some are still dependant on weekly funds from their parents to buy food or to have as entertainment and such, so they are living away at Uni, but are still quite dependant on their parents.

I also knew some people who were living away from their parents home at 16/17. They got a full-time low end job, but it allowed them to get a tiny flat and survive too, though a few of those bottled it after debt stated to kick in.

Me personally? I would say I will become fully independent at 22/23, a year or so after Uni. I opted to live at home as the Uni is 2 minutes drive away from my parents house, get another grand slashed off the maintenance loan for it, but what tiny amount of student loan I do have left allows me to eat what I want, when I want, to insure and tax a car and pay for fuel; though that does leave me pretty skint regardless.

 

[I-Protest-I]

Whenever you move out and stay moved out, not having a room being saved for you etc. I am dependant on my parents because I'm saving half my earnings so I can buy a house, between that and the money I give them I have very little for myself. I couldn't buy a house for another 5/6 years if not.

Oh one last thing, FUCKING HOUSE BUYING IS BULLSHIT

 

[bobmus]

I understand, although I'm shocked that you can get a government loan at all where you live if your parents are rich.

And what I'm saying is your parents should kick in to help with your costs so that there is more money to go around, like I said. If they also loaned rich kids money then they would have to lend less to those poor kids. No need to subsidize the rich.

Also I'd say I have a better off chance of paying back my loan faster, which would be an improvement from the point of view of a taxpayer. Also it seems obvious that richer people will have payed a greater amount in tax, so why should their kids get screwed over in dividing out taxpayer's money?

You help those who have a need. Tax benefits aren't higher for those that pay in more, now that wouldn't make any sense.

Just want to clarify that my family isn't rich, my dad just has a fairly good income - my parents live in an expensive area and have sent both myself and my sister to private schools. There's no money sitting around to be spent here, it's costing them to house me, which they could very reasonably have said they didn't want to do?
Also, I live in England, and go to university in London, one of the most expensive cities to live in...

Well one can argue at what point support should be reduced. Maybe your parents make enough, maybe not, we can't get that specific here.

As for living in london to go to school, you do know that's your choice right? I'm sure England has more than one good school you could go to.

It's the only university I got into - the rest of my applications were medicine rejections. I couldn't take the year out and retry as the fees were being tripled the next year...

 

[I-Protest-I]

as has been said above: When you are no longer dependent on them.

Age is no factor in this. you are independent of your parents when you no longer require them to help feed/cloth/house you.

It could be 15, it could be 38.

EDIT: I'm twenty and still totally dependent on my parents. Why? because they're willing to help out and it saves massive amounts of money for me.

How embarressing for you. If you are over 18 and have no valid reason (temporary unemployment through no fault of your own, university, college, severe illness, etc) then you shouldn't.

I don't know any 18 year old who is earning enough money from their job to move out from their parents place.

Really? I dont want a short post I just can't believe it.

 

[Akytalusia]

immediately. you should be considered independant as soon as you're born. your caretakers should be taking care of you because they choose to, and not out of some prefabricated obligation. if you were taken in by someone, you would lose your independance. and as people have said before, you would become independant again when you shed yourself of your dependence on third party caretakers.

 

[Powereaver]

18 since its the legal age of becoming an adult so therefore you become independent from your parents in the laws mind, and by that stage you should be able to do most things for yourself anyways, just because youre living at home doesnt mean you cant be somewhat independant.