“parents are suppose to help the under 25's ,,
and we all go back to having loads of bills to pay no matter what they are
if u wanna have yr own place that goes with it
but if under 25 then get the parents to help out and put their hands in their pockets
to many young people gets flats make a lot of noise ,,, do not keep garden tidy ,,, some on drugs booze etc
so if cant afford it dont have a flat stay at home till u are 25”

“'How do youngsters cope with bills, etc.?' Answer - you learn how to budget so you can pay them.
I have to agree with some of what stinker2008 says. It is mostly down to the parent(s) to help equip their children to 'deal with all that'. Bracken27 - you say you were a fighter and that's how you coped. Can't you help your son to be the same way? Don't you think he has the capacity to cope with paying bills? It's something we all have to learn to do eventually.
We are one of the few countries that give Housing Benefits, as far as I am aware. In other European countries, children live at home with their parents, often into their 30s or 40s or until they get married. They can't afford to move out and pay rent until they are earning a reasonable wage. That isn't seen as unfair. That's life.
I think we have had it lucky here for a long time. The government has enabled people to live independently at a very early age - they found the money to support that. Now the money isn't there and we may have to change the way we live.
Regardless of whether your son is receiving housing benefit or not, he still needs to learn how to pay his bills. Presumably, when you went round to his flat and saw his unopened bills, you did something about it, even if it was only to point out to him that burying his head in the sand would not make it go away...”

“I have to agree it's always down to the parents to assist their children and not that of the government. I purchased a flat 5yrs ago when it was easier to obtain a mortgage than it is today (no huge deposit). My son is now 20yrs and has moved into it and is settling in well. The only help he's claimed for is the council tax reduction (which is a small percentage), for a single person living there. Myself and even his Gran assists and pop in regularly to help him adjust to living independently. The flat is a 10min walk away and he'll ocassionally waltz over to visit and stay for tea (depending on what's on the menu). After all it's still his home from home and he know's he's always welcome. He is loving the feeling, although a little daunting at first but he enjoys the independence and the ability to make his own choices and decisions without having to run it past his parents first, as he once did when he was living with us. As a parent you have to dig in your pockets, you have to keep on the ball and communicate with your kids. I say to him, your bill should be due in soon eh? Don't forget your council payment this month? Have you phoned to enquire about your ammended bill? And so on, until they've established a routine and how to organise what's needing paid, then as a parent aid them. He doesn't have a landline as we keep bills to a minimum, until he's ready to take on more. He accesses the internet at the library or via his mobile. He lives with the basics so as he learns to manage the essentials first, instead of having it all at once and bombarded with debts that are all to easy to run up. So far so good!!!”

“having just had a flat myself, rented albeit (im 24)
i must admit i found it quite easy to budget and sort my bills

its just about being mature enough, ready enough to take on the responsibilities.

there were things i learnt, the hard way too!

electric, gas and water were on meters and i made sure i took the readings myself to give actual readings and not estimates as these are often higher than the actual. then i made sure i had direct debits set up
surely people live to their means and dont get somewhere they cant afford?

maybe im lucky that im in a well paid job but i didnt get a flat i couldnt afford and i asked around to friends who had already moved out cost of bills roughly

little things aswell like switching things of at the sockets help, and instead of having the heating on 24 hours a day in the winter - just wear a hoody or something warmer.

its a tough start but something you will get used to - you have to do it to get the experiance

my main bit of advice is to get a folder of some description so they can organise bills as needed - and never leave post un opened.

Good Luck, hopefully this helps & i dont think i have forgotten anything”

“oh and as for parents help - i had help paying the deposit (which i paid back) but that was it

parents just gave me advice and little reminders.

also i forgot to say - id get a BIG calendar to hang on the back of the front door for example - update it regularly with important dates, such as when bills are due - VERY handy and helpful”

“The credit union offer a "jam jar" account where you can pay one sum in but it gets divided up to smaller pots for specific bills. If he is under 25 he can approach The Zone for housing support or alternatively contact Alabare. Loving the big calendar plan. Also a very helpful tip.”