Middle-class children neglect elderly parents, poll finds

THE wealthier a child becomes, the less likely they are to look after their parents in old age, a poll has revealed.

It found that sons and daughters who earned less than £20,000 a year were five times more likely to provide regular, routine support to their elderly parents than those making more than £100,000 a year.

When it came to providing practical help to elderly relatives, again it was those who made the least money who were the first to step in.

On average, they were twice as likely to help out with DIY, make sure their elderly mothers and fathers had enough groceries, cook for them and take them to medical appointments.

Despite earning the least, they were also twice as likely to help their parents with their finances compared with children who could most afford it – those earning more than £50,000.

The research, carried out by the social network site engagewithyou.com, also highlighted that the more money a child made, the less likely they were to visit their parents or speak to them on the phone regularly.

Karl Elliott, director of the website, said one of the reasons that richer children do less was because they often lived further away from their parents,

He said: “When it comes to putting time in to provide regular care and support, it is those on the lowest incomes who do more for their parents.

“Wealthier people may live further away from their parents, but there are probably other factors also at play.

“The time pressure involved in providing such support is currently on the low earners, who are also the people that most fear losing their job for taking time off work to help their elderly parents.”