Apparently not entitled to anything?

chazsucks

Hey sorry I'm new, I've been reading these boards for a while now but only just signed up.
I really need some advice and hoping someone on here can help me?
Sorry in advance for the length of this post....

I'm 19. Unemployed. 36 weeks pregnant.
I have a partner. 25. Working 40 hours a week. Just over 16 k a year, which after tax is just over 1,000 a month, maybe 1,100?

We've been living with my dad as I haven't been working, and my partner has been paying him £300 a month allowing us to save up for a flat to rent. (the deposit, plus rent until I start working again)

However his house has now been sold and we need to move out by June 26th.
Some of our saved up money has been used as I've been doing driving lessons, and my dog is having surgery on Thursday but we do still have enough for a deposit somewhere.

Anyway we've been looking at 2 bedroom places to rent and they are roughly around 700-800 a month in our local areas. Which means after rent, travel money, bills, food etc we will have literally nothing a month (or less!).

So I went to the council for help, completely clueless as I've never been on benefits or anything before.

JSA: I'm not entitled to because of the pregnancy, but I don't know if I'm allowed to apply after baby's born, if anyone knows?

Maternity allowance: I haven't worked enough to receive it.

Sure start grant: I can't get it as I'm not already on benefits.

WTC: my partner can't get it because apparently they don't class it as a low income, even though he's supporting me, and soon a child!

Income support: They said I can't get it as my partner is expected to support me which is fair enough but I explained about having to move out and how his wage will be the same/less than what we are paying a month, they said if I want help basically break up with him.

Local housing allowance: They said they couldn't tell me if I was eligible and if so how much I could get until I had signed a contract and moved in somewhere. But I need to know how much (and if!) I could receive it before finding somewhere, as I can't afford to move in somewhere and find out that I would only get a little amount.. If you understand what I'm trying to say?

Council housing: They said they couldn't do anything till I was officially homeless, and then they would find a b&b somewhere, for just me and the baby, and not worry about my partner until they could find something more suitable.

My partners family live in Texas so... can't stay with them.
My dad will go into care as he's in his seventies, and very ill.
My dads money of the house is also pretty much going to paying off his debts

So basically. I've probably missed stuff out here and I'm sorry but. I'm completely clueless as what to do and I'm starting to panic about the future and what's going to happen......

So any advice or help without anyone being nasty would be VERY much appreciated.

clairec79

Before June 26th your baby will be born and that will make a HUGE difference, you'll be entitled to child tax credit, at the wage you've stated it will be more than the basic, therefore you get the sure start grant (just have to claim before baby is 3 months old), plus child benefit

If you go to entitled to and write it AS IF YOU HAD THE BABY (not that you are pregnant) and it should give you a rough idea of levels of CTC, as well as money towards rent etc

Re JSA you'd only get contributions and you need to have been working for most of the past two tax years - at a rough guess if you won't qualify for maternity allowance I doubt you'll qualify for JSA

real1314

You say your partner's family live in Texas - is your partner a US citizen? Does his entry to the UK include "no recourse to public funds"?

You might get tax credits, unless the "no recourse" bit is stated.
Give us an idea where you live and we might be able to do a guesstimate of housing allowance too.

chazsucks

Hey thanks for the advice so far!! Really helpful. At the moment we live in Morden, my partner works in Putney so we are trying to find the cheapest place that will take under an hour/hour and a half to get to putney on public transport. We've been looking at places in croydon.

my parnters family moved to texas when he was 16, but he decided to stay here which is why he never went to college or anything (completely off the subject sorry lol) so yeah he's british

chazsucks

Hey sorry I keep posting, I must seem really stupid.
I did the tax credits allowance calculator thing and it said this:

Based on the information you have entered, your [URL="javascript:DoGlossary('household')"]household[/URL] may be entitled to the following tax credits award:- [URL="javascript:DoGlossary('childtaxcredit')"]Child Tax Credit[/URL] £3259.41 Childcare element of Working Tax Credit £0.00 Sub total £3259.41 [URL="javascript:DoGlossary('workingtaxcredit')"]Working Tax Credit[/URL] (less the childcare element of Working Tax Credit) £547.20 Note: The childcare element of Working Tax Credit will always be paid direct to the person who is mainly responsible for caring for the child or children, alongside payments of Child Tax Credit. Total £3806.61
So do I divide that by 12, and that's what I should get per month? I understand the Child tax thing but what's the working tax thing? And what's the childcare element thing?


ALSO is this at the family element? Because if so I wouldn't be able to get the sure start grant? It says you need to recieve Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element to be elegible.

Sorry for all the questions!

munkypuzzel

Well, if you 'split up':cool: from your partner, you would then be entitled to just about everything! You would have housing benefit plus all the extras which would enable you to live quite well, especially if your 'new' partner was contributing.. he could even stay over..

Everybody milks the system that has been created... its an option, apparantly its designed to protect the children.

As a fully paid up taxpayer, it can be mildly irritating but that is the welfare state that we have.

The sad thing is, is that if you partner lost his job of £16k you would probably be much better off!

Cornball

To be honest, if you can't afford to have this baby maybe you should look at adoption? I'm not meaning to sound harsh but it sounds like this baby was unplanned and there is no stigma at giving your child a better life and lots of adoptions let you stay in touch with the child.

Then you and your partner could wait 5 - 10 yrs, progress career-wise, save, etc until you are capable of supporting a family.

Cornball

fairydiamond wrote: »

:eek: I don't think that is helpful. The OP came here to ask for help, not to be told she's not fit to look after a baby and she should put the baby up for adoption. I'm shocked.

Giving a child up for adoption is one of the most selfless things a parent can do. I didn't say she should put the bub up for adoption, only that it's a viable option.

I'm rather disgusted that you find it so repulsive.

timnicebutdim_2

Errrr OP has come here to ask for advice about benefits, not whether she should commit benefit fraud (post #6) or adoption (post #7)!! :rolleyes:

flea72

chazsucks wrote: »

Hey sorry I keep posting, I must seem really stupid.
I did the tax credits allowance calculator thing and it said this:

Based on the information you have entered, your household may be entitled to the following tax credits award:- Child Tax Credit £3259.41 Childcare element of Working Tax Credit £0.00 Sub total £3259.41 Working Tax Credit (less the childcare element of Working Tax Credit) £547.20 Note: The childcare element of Working Tax Credit will always be paid direct to the person who is mainly responsible for caring for the child or children, alongside payments of Child Tax Credit. Total £3806.61
So do I divide that by 12, and that's what I should get per month? I understand the Child tax thing but what's the working tax thing? And what's the childcare element thing?


ALSO is this at the family element? Because if so I wouldn't be able to get the sure start grant? It says you need to recieve Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element to be elegible.

Sorry for all the questions!

divide that amount by 52 to find your weekly allowance (you get paid every 4wks, not monthly)

the childcare element is for help towards childcare, so as you arent paying for any, you wont get this extra help

WTC is another part of the CTC system, it is additional help for those on low incomes

The basic element of CTC is only £545 a year, so anyone who is entitled to more than this amount of CTC will be eligible for the Sure Start Grant

hth Flea

Cornball

timnicebutdim wrote: »

Errrr OP has come here to ask for advice about benefits, not whether she should commit benefit fraud (post #6) or adoption (post #7)!! :rolleyes:

Right, and the benefits they'd receive aren't really enough (discounting illegal fraud) so it's a suggestion.