Please help, I feel totally abandoned!

ged1980

yaimee wrote: »

Thank you both for your support, it's very kind of you, especially cos I'm feeling like a complete flop atm
Am sure I'll find a way round it eventually, just finding things frustrating and hard for the time being!
Ah well, someone got eaten by a shark yesterday, so there's always someone worse off!

We all feel like that at some point


Life is hard and you are seeing it just now but i like the way you are thinking and im sure you will get it sorted.

RAS

yaimee

You need to talk to yourUniversity Welfare folk. This sort orf probklem is common place. You will have to technically withdraw from your course so that you can claim benefits and then re-register next year.

Otherwise you will still have problems after the baby is born.

pmlindyloo

RAS wrote: »

yaimee

You need to talk to yourUniversity Welfare folk. This sort orf probklem is common place. You will have to technically withdraw from your course so that you can claim benefits and then re-register next year.

Otherwise you will still have problems after the baby is born.

Firstly, as others have said, you need to talk to your university welfare department.

It could indeed be that you have to withdraw from your course and re-register as suggested but there may be another way.

I am thinking that you may be entitled to benefits if you suspend your course because of illness or because you are caring for someone. I do not know if pregnancy and your 'related illnesses' might fall into this category (I may be grasping at straws here so don't get your hopes up!)

Certainly after your child is born you would be entitled to benefits even as a student as you would be a lone parent.

I do hope there is some help for you.

Please get in touch with your university. Also you could try ringing your local council and Job Centre Plus, explaining the situation and see what they say.

Good luck!

AnxiousMum

Remember OP, it takes two to make a baby, and two to ensure that the baby is provided for. As soon as the baby is born, you need to get in touch with the CSA (unless of course, you have a private arrangement with the baby's father) to get child support lined up. Even if he is a fellow student, 18 yrs old and pimply with no income at the moment - he will be assessed at that, but can be reassessed later without all the delays in getting it set up. This is not just YOUR financial responsibility - if the taxpayer is to be held liable for some of the funding, then the dad should also be held liable for his share.

I can certainly understand where you are coming from - as to what help is available to you.....but as you said earlier, there are benefits available to people - but remember too, this is available from funds paid in by taxes - which, by your own admission, you have avoided paying for some time. Unfortunately, this has now come back to bite you in the bum.

I hope that all goes well for you - do get in touch with the financial advisor at your student union - they should have some good information to hand for you.

Finally - enjoy your baby! Being a mum is the most treasured job you will EVER have

yaimee

Thanks anxiousmum, will do that as soon as the baby is born. And will get in touch with my uni advice department asap. Don't worry the father isn't a pimply 18 year old (I'm a mature student) and I will be making sure he takes full responsibility when the baby is born.
I just want to quickly add that although I haven't been paying tax recently (I would have much preferred to be paying tax, but was desperate for work, so took what I could get) before I started university I worked full time for years, so have contributed into the system, at least to some extent.
Thanks again for your advice, really helpful.

yaimee

And thank you everyone else, your advice has been really helpful, will definitely be getting in touch with my uni welfare department and looking into getting a benefits adviser. Also really liked Sams suggestion of taking in some ironing or doing some baby sitting, so will be pasting adverts all over Leeds ASAP!
You really are a well informed, supportive and helpful lot, and I hope if any of you are ever in a nasty situation you get exactly as much empathy and support as you've given to me.

yaimee

Fair enough, I have gotten myself into a difficult situation and I suppose I am hoping for some help of the government, but I want to point out that I've always worked hard, full time for a number of years, from leaving school at 16. When I returned to uni as a full time mature student I worked almost full time and volunteered too. I have paid my stamp for years and never claimed a thing, and I'm certainly not lazy and after giving birth i don't intend to stay out of work and education for any length of time either. I know this is nothing special, it's just what people do across the country ever day, but I just want to make it clear that I'm not somebody who ever has or ever will expect the state to look after me.
I thought the point of having a welfare system was to provide a safety net for people having difficulties, so although I don't expect the state to take care of me, I suppose I was hoping for a little bit of help.

narabanekeater

you wont be able to do any paid work and claim maternity allowence

yaimee

Ah right, Ok, will bare that in mind, don't want to end up defrauding them lol Thanks!

welshmoneylover

yaimee wrote: »

Fair enough, I have gotten myself into a difficult situation and I suppose I am hoping for some help of the government, but I want to point out that I've always worked hard, full time for a number of years, from leaving school at 16. When I returned to uni as a full time mature student I worked almost full time and volunteered too. I have paid my stamp for years and never claimed a thing, and I'm certainly not lazy and after giving birth i don't intend to stay out of work and education for any length of time either. I know this is nothing special, it's just what people do across the country ever day, but I just want to make it clear that I'm not somebody who ever has or ever will expect the state to look after me. [STRIKE]you could have fooled me[/STRIKE]
I thought the point of having a welfare system was to provide a safety net for people having difficulties, so although I don't expect the state to take care of me, I suppose I was hoping for a little bit of help.

Nothing wrong with supporting people when they need a safety net when they get stuck with circumstances that are NOT of their own making.