Friend Sick With Worry, Pregnant And 18 Yr Old Daughter-Help!!

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi

I need some information for my friend. I mentioned a few weeks back that my friend of 36 is pregnant and has an 18 year old DD. She has just popped around and was in a right state, pushed from this person to that person at the job centre etc and I need some help if possible

Situation: Friend is currently earning £150pw she works 25hrs a week and is a carer for our local council. She currently receives some tax credits but these are due to stop this month as her 18year old daughter isnt going back to college. Also her child benefit will stop. Her daughter has been working in the local supermarket since 16 working between 9-19hrs a week (average income £80 pw over the past few months as working extra).

Her rent is £88pw and will have no other benefits coming in. So she will have £150pw coming in and Ive worked out roughly that she will have to contribute about £61 towards her rent each week and will recive HB for the rest. She will be entitled to Maternity Allowance of £108 pw for 26 weeks but this doesnt seem alot at all....is this correct?

Also, whilst she was at the job centre they stated that she may have to pay back the money she has received for her DD as they count her income. DD was in further education and receiving EMA-do they count her wages as income?

My questions are:

(1)Will HB take her DD's income into consideration when she leaves college this month?
(2)When a child is in further education, does the money they earn from PT jobs have to be counted as income/declared?
(3)Is there anything else she could claim?
(4)Any other advice/help?

The only thing i can see is that if DD stays on at college, then friend would still be entitled to tax credits ATM, child benefit etc

My brain is mush today as I was up the hospital all day yesterday and cant think of any other options, if there are any.

Thanks in advance.
PP
xx

missk_ensington

Whats DD?

Is her daughter at college, I thought her tax credits stop because she wasn't going back to college??

There's nothing else until the baby is born, I had the same problem when I was pregnant, you can't claim anything until you're 29 weeks gone (or something like that) and then you only get a single persons award which for me was £40 income support and £45 Housing benefit a week. My rent was £90 a week so even with what they were giving me I was £5 short just with the rent, and nothing to live off! As a result I got a temp job in the day 9-5 and then did bar work at night in Blackpool in the nightclubs until they told me to sod off cos I was 8 months pregnant!

Once baby is born its completely different, all i can suggest is she takes on a second job or asks a contribution from her daughter?!?

missk_ensington

PS. Your calculations are correct I think for maternity/HB.

Not sure how this stands but think the tax credits only last until aged 19 even if the child is in education, so this would depend on whether she is nearly 19, or only just 18.

I dont think the daughters earnings would be considered

Penny-Pincher!!

DD-Darling Daughter

Thanks Miss-K, thats what I thought! DD is just 18 and is willing to contribute, but friend doesnt want to take too much off her as its not really her problem IYSWIM.

Ive worked out she would be £25 a week worse off, if she was to claim IS as she hasnt been too well and after she took off what she pays in petrol etc she would probably be no worse off than working. Its really stupid the way this system works...i dont understand it at all. I know she wont give up work, but how is she suppose to live on so little

Thanks again.

PP
xx

Gorgeous_George

What does the father of the baby earn? Where is he?

From the limited info provided, it sounds like a pregnancy timed to replace one meal ticket with another.

GG

missk_ensington

When baby's born she'll also get CSA if she stays working. In the meantime tell her to try and work more hours and get some savings together for when baby arrives. Think she'll also get £500 SureStart grant (not sure if thats under 25 though, it might not be) when she reaches 28 weeks pregnant (i think). You'll have to Google it and check the terms x

Penny-Pincher!!

She will be filing for CSA once baby is born. The father doesnt want to know, but he is on a good income but says he wont contribute towards the baby.

Gorgeous George-I think your comment is hastily wrote and very judgemental. You do not know her circumstances and she has worked hard as a single parent for the past 18 years. She has never been unemployed, and if she was in it for a "meal ticket", surely she would have knocked out a few more kids in the mean time and not been working I really dont understand this comment as having children is not easy!

Miss-K-She wont be entitled to the £500 surestart as her tax credits will stop this month and apparently you have to be receiving these or IS etc to qualify....is this not true?

PP
xx

missk_ensington

My friend got Surestart and she was working and got maternity pay. I think if you're on a low income you get it, cos my friend was only on £10,000 a year working 40 hours a week.

Whether the father is interested or not he still has to pay! He'll have to give her 15% of his net monthly income (my ex has to give me £235 a month) The only way he can get away with not paying is if he's sefl-employed. If he's emplyed there's not a lot he can do, if he refuses the CSA will contact his employer and have it taken from his wage for him!

Penny-Pincher!!

Miss-K...Thanks for that info! I hope so, he is being really horrid, but he's to blame just as mush as she is. He works for a company and is not SE...so thats great news.

Thanks again hun.

PP
xx

missk_ensington

Does he already have other kids?? My ex was an absolute £^)*!@&^! but when baby was born he started sniffing around. He now see's him once/twice a week (which drives me mad, I hate him being in our life!) Maybe your friends baby's father will be more reasonable when the shock subsides!!!

Does she really want to start again with nappies and sleepless nights when her daughter is 18?!?! Now is the time she should be started to enjoy life, not going back to severe hardship and stuck in day and night like she probably was 18 years ago with her DD.

Penny-Pincher!!

I've said all that too her. I thought she would have had an abortion but she didnt realise she was pregnant till 16 weeks and as she wasnt too good her GP sent her for an emergency scan. She saw the baby and couldnt do it!

He doesnt have any other children, but he has been quite nasty so far and not sure she wants him involved anyway.

I admire her determination and doesnt want anything shes not entitled too and works very hard, but I really do think it will be a shock for the system..lol. She has some good friends who are here for her, but its still not quite the same as having a partner.

My DD is 11 and I have a great OH who would love to have more kids, but circumstances wont allow us to have any more and Im 31. Even if I was well enough to have more, I think it would half kill me starting all over again:rotfl:

Thanks for all your advice, I really appreciate the help.PP
xx