Pregnant graduate and not allowed SMT or benefits?

Caz3121

Is her boyfriend keeping the child benefit and tax credits too?....I am assuming that this will be over £60 per week

add: is it a private rent, have they applied for LHA..they may qualify for some help here too

karenx

is she expecting the government to give her spending money because the boyfriend doesn't???

bestpud

He sounds a great catch! :rolleyes:

They have one full time income coming in. It may be a low wage but they have it topped up with tax credits and she will be getting child benefit. Lots of families are in this situation.

If they cannot afford the rent then they need to look into LHA/Housing Benefit, or possibly downsize.

Other than that, point them in the direction of these boards so they can get some help with their budget.

oldmotherreilly

I would suggest that your friend check out entitledto to make sure the family is claiming all they are entitled to.

Vader123

Her boyfirned pays for the bills, the car but NOT the rent.

Right....

The boyfriend is a fantastic Father, and a good partner to her - they already have a 2 year old son together

LOL!

He has 2 children to this lady and he "won't" pay the rent? He won't pay for the roof above his children and the mother of his children?

Really?

Vader

cattie

J_pink wrote: »

She, however pays for the rent, the groceries and monthly expenses including things for the baby. Now that she has graduated she has been told that becuase her bof is earning she isn't entitled to ANYTHING in her pregnancy. No SMT or anything. She has no income and her boyfriend has a seperate bank account and refuses to give her spending money.

I'm a little confused, as if she was paying for the rent & other things before becoming pregnant, where was that money coming from? Only you didn't mention she had a job while doing her course and state she now has no income?

alwaysonthego_2

cattie wrote: »

I'm a little confused, as if she was paying for the rent & other things before becoming pregnant, where was that money coming from? Only you didn't mention she had a job while doing her course and state she now has no income?

Student loans, bursaries and grants

tonypop

Im sure a graduate can get a job in poundland, but your friend and her boyfriend don't seem to clever a couple.

J_pink

Thank you to everybody who has responded. I don't want to turn this into a personal attack on the partner...just wanted to ask advice from people who know about these things! My friend did recieve support as a student previously - and there were no financial problems previously as her boyf had a good job as an estate agent. He was made redundant last year and found a new job recently. I do totally appreciate that it isn't the government's job to pay for everything - I just assumed that pregnant women get a basic SMA.
To be honest I don't know the in's and outs of there spending habits - I do know they don't have a disposable income and that she gets upset about the fact he keeps money managment to himself - like a survival thing. It's strange.

Thanks again for the advice.

karenx

Well if the tax credits and child benefit is in her name then she has that to use.
Yes pregnant women do get sma IF they are in a job or have been working up untill they were pregnant and paid theyr NI