Third of grandparents have gifted money to grandchildren 

7th July 2023

Almost a third of grandparents say they have lent or gifted money to their grandchildren, with the elderly family members paying out £2,119 on average according to new research by Saga. 17 per cent of those surveyed said they had used the cash to buy a first property and the same amount saying that it had helped with home renovation and improvement.

Grandchildren between the ages of 18 and 40 were also quizzed about what they have been spending their inherited riches on. The insurance and holiday provider found that 20% of respondents said that they had used the money on holidays and 18% said it had been spent on cars.

Researchers found that grandparents were more likely to pass on their wealth as they got older, with 64 per cent of people over 85 lending or gifting money to their grandchildren. This was compared to 35 per cent of 75-84-year-olds and 27 per cent of 65-74-year-olds.

Of those that had lent their grandchildren money, attitudes varied about whether they expected to receive any of it back. Grandparents in Plymouth were the most likely in the UK to expect the money to be paid back, with 48 per cent wanting it to be paid back in part or in full.

Forty per cent of those in Brighton or Cardiff wanted to be paid back, but only 17 per cent of those in Belfast expected repayment.

Lisa Edgar, Chief Consumer Officer at Saga, said “The research points to a growing dependence on the support of grandparents, which reflects the unprecedented nature of the last few years and the impact it has had on people’s finances.”

“It also shows they want their grandchildren to succeed and get the most out of life.”