text: Debt: Parents are getting into debt by letting their adult children live at home for longer . Grown-up children who are still in their family home are living the ‘life of Riley’ while unknowingly pushing their parents into debt, research shows. The so-called ‘boomerang generation’ are placing their parents under serious financial pressure by living at home even in their twenties and thirties. Now, debt organisations have warned that parents should not be afraid to ask their children for rent and money towards household bills amid fears the British ‘stiff upper lip’ makes them reluctant to admit when they need help. Experts claim grown-up children still living at home are often completely unaware that they are forcing their parents further into debt. Research revealed that as many as three-quarters of parents whose children are over 18 still have at least one child living with them. But only 42 per cent charge their children rent – with many admitting they feel too guilty and uncomfortable to ask. And even if they manage to ask their offspring to contribute, most charge them just £150 a month, compared with a typical UK rent of £750. On top of this, 80 per cent still buy their adult child’s groceries, and 60 per cent cook dinner for them each night, according to the study by website TopCashBack. Parents expressed concern that their children could not afford to move out or were struggling to save for a house deposit. But the survey found the average salary of a grown-up child living at home is £26,000, giving them a comfortable £1,000 in disposable income each month. Half of parents who did charge rent admitted they relied on that money to cover living expenses such as groceries and utility bills. Food for thought: Eight out of ten parents survey said they still bought their children's groceries for them . In fact, a second study released today revealed that many debt-ridden parents are falling into deeper financial trouble because of their stay-at-home children. According to debt management specialist PayPlan, a third of parents in debt who have grown-up children living at home have been forced to take out a loan to meet the costs of housing and feeding them. Young adults brought up on the internet are beset by loneliness because they make friends online rather than face to face, a survey reveals. It found many of the so-called Facebook generation of internet-obsessed people in their late teens, twenties and early thirties say they feel lonely. One in seven of those who find it hard to make friends are too scared to talk to strangers. Their fear of relationships appears linked to how they usually communicate – by text, Facebook and email. But unlike older generations they seem to have no time or inclination to talk to their neighbours. The survey of nearly 2,500 people by The Big Lunch community campaign undermines the idea that loneliness mostly affects the elderly. Dr Rebecca Harris of the University of Bolton, who worked on the poll, said: ‘Our brains treat loneliness the same as physical pain. We’re spending less time having social interaction, we have fewer friends than we’d like and we’re finding it harder to make new friends.’ But half of these parents say they still refuse to ask their kids to contribute to the household pot. Jane Clack, of PayPlan, said: ‘In this country we are renowned for a stiff upper lip, but the truth is that many parents are under emotional strain as a result of their debts.’
target: 75% of parents with children over 18 have at least one still living with them .
  Less than half ask for rent as they feel too guilty to ask .
  Those that do, charge considerable less than the UK average .
  8 out of 10 still buy their adult children's groceries and cook dinner .