The £1,600 a year ADHD cost: what drives it and what actually helps
When people mention the “ADHD cost,” they are not describing one single expense. They describe a pattern of small, recurring costs that are harder to avoid when attention, memory, and decision-making are under strain.
In the UK, a survey carried out by YouGov for Monzo estimated that adults with ADHD face around £1,600 a year in extra costs (Monzo UK, 2022) . Not everyone will recognise that number, and it is not a bill that arrives all at once. But it helps explain why money can feel harder to manage even when income is steady, and intentions are good.
This article examines where those costs tend to come from, what research says about why they occur, and what helps reduce them.
Where the £1,600 figure comes from
The £1,600 figure is one way of describing the ADHD tax in real life.
That estimate is built from self-reported costs and common financial pressure points. People most often described extra spending linked to late fees, overdrafts, forgotten subscriptions, impulse purchases, replacing lost or unused items, and paying more for convenience when life felt overloaded (Monzo UK, 2022) .
On their own, these can look small. But because they repeat, they add up. This is less about “being bad with money” and more about how many financial systems rely on memory, timing, and admin.
Late fees and missed payments
Late fees are a common example of how the ADHD cost builds.
Research highlighted by the University of Cambridge suggests that time-based penalties can hit harder when attention and follow-through are inconsistent (University of Cambridge, 2025) . In the same Monzo survey, 49% of people with ADHD said they occasionally or regularly miss bill payments, compared with 18% of people without ADHD (Monzo UK, 2022) .
Missed payments can also create a stress–avoidance loop. A missed bill triggers anxiety, anxiety makes it harder to start money tasks, and avoidance increases the chance of missing the next one.
Decision fatigue and convenience costs
Another quieter driver is decision fatigue. When mental energy is low, it is harder to compare options, plan ahead, or deal with admin. People are more likely to pick the quickest option, delay decisions until a penalty hits, or stick with defaults that are not ideal.
Paying extra for convenience is not a failure. It is often a way of coping when capacity is low. The goal is to reduce how often you are forced into that corner.
Forgotten and unused spending
Subscriptions, memberships, and unused purchases are another common source of extra cost. Many people sign up for free trials with good intentions, then forget to cancel, and a small monthly charge quietly turns into months of payments.
This is an attention and visibility issue. If something does not show up in front of you, it can slip out of awareness. Many adults with ADHD recognise the pattern of paying for services they meant to cancel or items they planned to return but never quite got around to.
What helps reduce the £1,600 ADHD cost
If you tend to freeze when money tasks pile up, you are not alone. At NeuroMoney, we call this the Frozen Wallet Effect: money admin triggers overwhelm, and the brain defaults to avoidance, even when the steps are simple. (More here: What is the Frozen Wallet Effect?)
Reduce reliance on memory
Systems tend to work better than reminders. Setting up direct debits for essential bills, using repeating calendar prompts, and keeping money information visible all reduce the need to remember at the right moment. The goal is not perfect tracking, but fewer points of failure.
Some people find that using an ADHD money management tool helps by keeping accounts, bills, and balances in one place, reducing the mental effort needed to check in.
Lower the number of decisions
Fewer choices usually mean less fatigue. This might involve using one main spending account, setting a fixed day for money admin, relying on simple rules instead of detailed budgets, or limiting the number of active subscriptions.
Trying to make your environment simpler often yields better results than trying to put more discipline into yourself.
Pick tools you will actually use
People have different money management styles. Some people like it automated, others like it visual, and a few like being held accountable.
Tools, including budgeting apps or an ADHD money management tool, are most useful when they reduce friction rather than add tasks. If a system feels heavy or demanding, it is less likely to be used when it matters most.
A note on expectations
The £1,600 figure is an average, not a verdict.
Some people will experience much less. Others, especially during periods of burnout, unemployment, or health challenges, may experience more. The number matters less than the pattern it reveals.
It often means that money systems designed for constant attention and perfect timing can be harder to live with. When finances depend on remembering small tasks, tracking multiple deadlines, and staying organised every week, the system can fail you more than you fail it.
If you want more support, you can explore other posts on neuromoney.io/blog on topics like bills, impulse spending, debt, and ADHD-friendly budgeting systems.
Note: This article is educational and is not personalised financial or medical advice.