Family wealth dictates our life choices. So is the Bank of Mum and Dad now behind so many of society’s growing inequalities?

Summary

The “Bank of Mum and Dad” drives modern inequality, fostering an “inheritocracy” where family wealth shapes opportunities over individual merit. This safety net often undermines social mobility, tying success to inheritance rather than personal effort.

Rising housing costs, wage stagnation, and unequal inheritance have entrenched this dynamic, with parental support shaping life milestones like homeownership, career paths, and education.

While early inheritances advantage some, the burden of social care costs threatens others’ expectations.

This growing reliance on family wealth exacerbates inequality within and across generations, highlighting the need for a broader societal conversation about privilege and fairness.

  • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.clubEnglish
    3·
    6 days ago

    I have never heard of this happening in the USA. The closest I’ve heard of is some states enforcing grandparents’ rights to visit their grandchildren, but I’ve never heard of any American government entity forcing children to take care of their parents.

    • Seleni@lemmy.world
      3·
      6 days ago

      Just because you haven’t heard of it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, or doesn’t happen. Another poster already linked the Wikipedia article, but they’re called Filial Responsibility Laws. The states that have them are:

      Alaska Arkansas California Connecticut Delaware Georgia Indiana Kentucky Louisiana Massachusetts Mississippi Nevada New Jersey North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Dakota Tennessee Utah Vermont Virginia West Virginia

      Iowa used to but they got rid off them in 2015.

          • QualifiedKitten@lemmy.worldEnglish
            2·
            6 days ago

            That’s kinda what I assumed, but say the parent lives in a state with filial responsibility laws, but the child doesn’t. Can the child still be forced to support their parents? A brief internet search suggests maybe, but these laws are generally not enforced (except Pennsylvania), and also usually take into account the child’s ability to support the parent.

            Just seems pretty fucked up that someone’s parents could move to State B with these laws to retire, and suddenly their kids, who have never lived in State B, are potentially being held to State B’s laws.

            • hydrospanner@lemmy.world
              1·
              6 days ago

              Yeah, it sounds like it might be a great case to run up the flagpole to SCOTUS for an official ruling, since it crosses state lines.

              Like …okay the child is behaving in a way inconsistent with State B Law, but they’re not in State B. That happens all the damn time, every day, with vice laws, weed laws, gun laws, etc.

              Also, presumably, if the child moved out of the country, State B would be completely unable to enforce its laws in country B. So there’s a limit to this enforcement, but where is it?