Housing for pregnant 17 year old

Phirefly

mishmash wrote: »

When I worked for a Local Authority they had a list of them, think it was based on price.

To be honest it was often very sad, I worked with lots of women -many fleeing violent partners. They would be sent miles away to a B an B, there are often no cooking facilities or washing machine. When you have kids it can be very expensive getting take outs and not great eating cold food. Paying for a laundrette and all was really tough, also the kids were often too far to go to school and the ones I saw were horrid, with lots of undesirable people.

My eldest daughter is 15, if she found herself in this position in a few years time-I don't think I could let her go to a place like that.

m

Thanks for your reply. I'm not trying to make a point or anything - I was just genuinely curious.

geri1965_2

My sister was in a single mothers hostel when she was pregnant with my nephew. It wasn't very pleasant at all, a lot of the other girls were addicts and petty thieves and would break into other people's rooms to steal anything of value. She couldn't wait to get out. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone except as a last resort.

moneysavinmonkey

you mentioned you had a granny annexe/flat - surely this would be perfect accomodation for your daughter + bf + baby... any way the grandparents can go live with another family member or perhaps go in sheltered accomodation.

Sorry it sounds awfull shunting granny + grandpa off like that but alternative is shunting your daughter + grandchild off to god knows where !

zoelouise88

firstly i would like to say congrats to you and daughter, secondly who ever said 'get shot off it' what a !!!!!!! this is a human life how evil of you. (sorry but im against abortion)

any how i was in a simular situation as i was 17 and living with my bf and his mum as i had been kicked out anyway i fell pregnant (id only been with him 4months) and unfortunalty his mum wanted us out as she was in her 50's and worked 12hours shifts so there wa sno way she could cope with a baby in the house.

We went to the council with a letter form her stating she wanted us to leave asap and where placed in a b&b, admittidly is was a s**t hole but anywhere was better than no where. being under 18 and preg they were only allowed to keep me in the b&b for 8 weeks then i was move to a a little hut thing then a month later i was given a 2 bed council flat. They have a duty to house her but im not so sure about her b/f but if she accpets the single mother accomadation then im sure it wont be long until they house her.


either way i hope evrything works out for them and they get suitable accomadation soon.

mishmash

Phirefly wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. I'm not trying to make a point or anything - I was just genuinely curious.

Hiya

No worries- I did not think you were.

I am no expert but the housing had a list. There was an interesting documentary a while ago about families living in B and B's, it was really sad watching parents warming tins of beans on the radiators or living off pot noodles sometimes for years. They can only stay in them so long, so would be moved to another.

I am just glad my parents put up with having us!

Mish

moneysavinmonkey

there was also a documentary on teenage mums on sometime this year on Ch4 I think. Similar sort of thing, temporarily housed by the council but had to move around a lot. Didn't really have adequate facitilities. Miles away from their family + friends - they seemed to spend most the documentary sitting on a bus trying to go visit someone, or to the doctor, or laundrette etc. Is your daughter prepared for this - could be the incentive for her + bf to get a job (or two!) each.

Phirefly

Perhaps if more teenagers were aware of this reality they may think twice? Seems all they hear about is so-and-so who's had a kid and got a free house from the council.

Debt_Free_Chick

Phirefly wrote: »

I'm curious about this. How does it work with the b&bs? Are there ones which exist soley for this eventuality or do the council just find any b&b which is free?

Generally any one that's free and at the right price - although, in practice, there are B&Bs who exist on providing this service for your local council. The Council will have a "preferred" list of B&Bs, at the right price, who will accept "Council tenants".

carlislelass

why should youngsters get pregnant and then expect the council to house them?

lkmc01

I became pregnant in my first year at uni. It was while I was back home at Christmas with my boyfriend who I had been with for a couple of years. I then went back to uni 250 miles away and lived in a halls of resistence. I left the first year hall when I was 5 months pregnant and lived with my parents for 2 weeks.

I then moved in with my partner.

He was working 44 hour weeks on £6 an hour and we were living in a one bedroom flat. Since I had only been at uni I could not get an maternity paid or anything similar. We were under 25 years old so could not get anything from tax credits before my son was born. The flat we lived in had a dressing room which had been converted from a very small bedroom (too small for even a cot). This we had to use for our clothes as the bedroom was too small for a wardrobe. We were therefore classed as having 2 bedrooms!!! and so over our needs (even though I was 7 - 9 months pregnant). I did look for a job in a cafe part time between 6 - 9 months pregnant but no one would employ me as I was 'too much of a risk' being pregnant.

Although we lived together we could only afford about £15 a week on food shopping so found ourselves eating at our families houses.

When my son was born and we started to get tax credits, child benefit and the sure start grant I felt like I had won the lottery as I could eventually buy by son a cot instead of using all second hand stuff.

Now he's nearly 3 and I'm back at uni. I took a year off. We do ok now for money now but it was very tight before my son was born. I had to walk to the doctors for check ups at 7 - 9 months pregnant and in the very hot July - August heat of 2005 because I couldn't afford the bus fare.

Before my son was born we could not get any other money apart from my partners wages. He was working all the hours he could legelly do (driving job).

I hope to fully contribute to tax when I leave uni but felt negelted as my son came when he did.