Pregnant 16 year old

bylromarha

Hi all

A friends 16 year old daughter has fallen pregnant (currently 6 weeks gone) and has decided to keep the baby.

Chatting to her mum made me a little confused...she said that all child benefit and tax credits stop at 16, but until the age of 18, the parent is responsible for the child financially in the eyes of the government.

Mum struggles herself with finances, so I thought I'd ask the question of the knowledgable people on here as to whether there is any benefits the mum or mum to be can claim.

16 year old has only just finished school, so won't be eligible for MA as she hasn't had a significant job yet....if she found a job now, could she claim MA when baby comes?

All advice welcome

Broken_hearted

Seek advice as to which route is best from CAB. The 16 year old will be able to get a grant for baby things and the free milk/fruit scheme which comes in in november.
As for money no idea sorry.

Fran

The daughter should be able to claim Income Support. The mother can put in a claim for Child Benefit for the baby and also Child Tax Credits. There is information on the Citizens Advice - Adviceguide website re this situation.

Shamish

Hi

Child Benefit is paid up until 18 if still in full time education. As far as i'm aware anyway. Thats what happend with myself.

If your friends daughter goes to work and does'nt qualify for the works maternity benefits then she will get maternity from the DWP as long as she has been paying tax credits for x amount of weeks (Cant remember the exact amount) if she does'nt qualify for maternity allowance from the DWP then she'll be able to go on Income support for the first 28 weeks.

If she is on benefits when the baby is here either you can claim Sure Start Maternity grant from 11 weeks before upto 3 months after the baby is born.

Remember and apply for this as it is £500 which helps a lot.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/advisers/sb16/ssmg/ssmg_1.asp

fabwitch_2

A friends daughter had a baby at 15 and she has now turned 16 and been given a two bedroom council flat. She gets income support and housing benifit and stoped going to School when she was 4 months pregnant as she found it too stressfull. She received the £500 grant to buy things for the baby plus has been given £900 to furnish the flat. This is in Hertfordshire. The Father of the baby is 21 and has never worked since leaving School at 15 he didnt sit his GCSE and has no intention of getting a job. The 16 year old will be able to claim benifits in her own right.

Kimberley

fabwitch wrote:

A friends daughter had a baby at 15 and she has now turned 16 and been given a two bedroom council flat. She gets income support and housing benifit and stoped going to School when she was 4 months pregnant as she found it too stressfull. She received the £500 grant to buy things for the baby plus has been given £900 to furnish the flat. This is in Hertfordshire. The Father of the baby is 21 and has never worked since leaving School at 15 he didnt sit his GCSE and has no intention of getting a job. The 16 year old will be able to claim benifits in her own right.

This is why the government has to act and stop giving teens an easy ride, because i know of a teen who got pregnant on purpose because she was having a hard time at home and wanted her own flat. It's all so too easy now. These people get a home and you have loads of homeless people living on our streets

I think if a girl gets pregnant whilst in her mums care that mum should be forced to care for her and her baby. This country is going so down hill and i really feel sorry for the future generation.

The 16 year old can claim benefits. Good luck to her.

AussieLass

Kimberley wrote:

I think if a girl gets pregnant whilst in her mums care that mum should be forced to care for her and her baby. This country is going so down hill and i really feel sorry for the future generation.

Why? What about the father?

Shamish

Kimberley wrote:

This is why the government has to act and stop giving teens an easy ride, because i know of a teen who got pregnant on purpose because she was having a hard time at home and wanted her own flat. It's all so too easy now. These people get a home and you have loads of homeless people living on our streets

I think if a girl gets pregnant whilst in her mums care that mum should be forced to care for her and her baby. This country is going so down hill and i really feel sorry for the future generation.

The 16 year old can claim benefits. Good luck to her.

Not so true.

I become a dad at 17 and my wife at 18.

We both lived with our parents and was one of the hardest thing's we've ever done.

We survived and doing a bit better now than when we have done in the past.

Stop stereotyping all people who become pregnant at a young age.

Kimberley

AussieLass wrote:

Why? What about the father?

The father doesn't have the baby though does he? he can run off and leave her holding the baby. If a teen dad is left as a single parent with the baby in his care then yes, he would be in the same position.

If one of my kids becomes a teen parent then i wouldn't grumble if i had to care for them both because i'd feel it would be my fault because of how i raised my kids. No one in my family has ever been a teen parent going back generations, so i'm confident none of mine will. I feel it would be my fault if they did though.

Fran

***Boardguide comment***

Please keep this on topic, ie, what info is useful for OP's friend.

Kimberley

Shamish wrote:

Not so true.

I become a dad at 17 and my wife at 18.

We both lived with our parents and was one of the hardest thing's we've ever done.

We survived and doing a bit better now than when we have done in the past.

Stop stereotyping all people who become pregnant at a young age.

I'm talking about a majority, not many teen parents stay together.