17 years old, pregnant...

Mupette

Going to really bite my tongue here, sorry to say the baby is not going to be the key to what you want.

The council wised up a long time ago about young girls getting pregnant and getting council flats.

You need to get out and get a job too.

I don't currently work because I'm pregnant and soon starting a course from home which should hopefully allow me to get a better job when I do find one

Utter tosh and an insult to all of us mums that did work all through our pregnancies, you can go to work.

You need to also burst this dream bubble of yours, the reality of you moving within 2 months into a home and nicely decorated before the baby arrives.. it's not going to happen.

You go to the council tomorrow and declare yourself homeless, they will offer you a nasty little B&B and you will take it, that's the best your going to get.

Sorry if i sound so harsh, but you really need to wise up and face reality.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

It may very well help you get a better job in the end, but how are you going to pay for maternity clothes, a buggy, nappies, bottles, a steriliser, Milton, formula, bigger bras, comfortable shoes, a cot and everything else you and the baby will need in the coming 20 weeks? It can take a while for child benefit or other benefits to come through, and baby still needs stuff before then.

If you found or were offered a place, you would have to get there, to have carpets, curtains, a bed, bedlinen, cooking utensils, a fridge, a cooker, a kettle, a microwave, pay electric, gas, water, a chest of drawers or wardrobe, a sofa - if you have no money because neither of you are working, you're going to be sitting on the bare floor with a baby sleeping in a cardboard box.


Budgeting Loans are only available to people in receipt of certain benefits. You aren't in receipt of them.

The council can advise on the deposit scheme via the housing options officer - but I would be very surprised if £1000 is enough for a deposit and rent.

It isn't made easy for you. Be nice if it were, but it isn't. Adult life isn't easy and this is part of it, particularly adult life in poverty.

Temping jobs would get you cash. Older mothers get Maternity leave when they work, but they have to work for much, much longer than 20 weeks. Usually around 35 weeks, so just over a month before baby is due to make an appearance. Make the most of the energy you will have for the middle trimester, chances are it won't last and you could provide everything your baby needs from 12 weeks' temping. And it would give you something better on your CV than 'Left school, got pregnant' - 'Left school, worked, got varied experience, then studied, now has child, continued to study'




There really were easier ways to have gone about this, but it'll be character forming and good practice for all the responsibility you are going to have from now on for the rest of your life.

Ravenlady_2

They wouldn;t get income support as a couple either before or after the baby is born, they would get JSA as 1 could work.

The young lady in question would still only get JSA as a single person until the baby is born then switch to Income support.

In order to claim a budgeting loan they would either have to claim JSA or IS for 26 weeks prior to claiming the loan which would mean they cant claim until after the baby is born but they can apply for the SSMG of £500 and the healthy start vouchers of £3.10 per week for fruit, veg and milk.

Ravenlady_2

I suggest the young lady joins up to her local selling pages on facebook, they seem to be very popular right now and an easier alternative to ebay as its all free to list

Join up to freecycle too and preloved.

I picked up a 2nd cotbed for £20 on a selling page recently and daily there are bundles of maternity and baby clothes, bedding and prams going very cheaply

j.e.j.

Mupette wrote: »

Going to really bite my tongue here, sorry to say the baby is not going to be the key to what you want.

The council wised up a long time ago about young girls getting pregnant and getting council flats.

You need to get out and get a job too.



Utter tosh and an insult to all of us mums that did work all through our pregnancies, you can go to work.

You need to also burst this dream bubble of yours, the reality of you moving within 2 months into a home and nicely decorated before the baby arrives.. it's not going to happen.

You go to the council tomorrow and declare yourself homeless, they will offer you a nasty little B&B and you will take it, that's the best your going to get.

Sorry if i sound so harsh, but you really need to wise up and face reality.

You don't sound harsh so much as... embittered? Hope writing all that down made you feel a bit better anyway :rotfl:

Mupette

j.e.j. wrote: »

You don't sound harsh so much as... embittered? Hope writing all that down made you feel a bit better anyway :rotfl:

oh did i sorry, pain relief just taken, new tablets today

BitterAndTwisted

RiaPenido wrote: »

I don't currently work because I'm pregnant and soon starting a course from home which should hopefully allow me to get a better job when I do find one.

Ria, I'll put this as gently as I know how. You and your teenage boyfriend do not have the luxury of choice right now. You may not have that luxury for the rest of your lives together. Or, at least you may not. Boyfriend may or may not continue to be a permanent fixture but only time will tell and you have every single statistic known to man against you on that score.

In short, if you both don't buckle down and get your backsides out of there and into work you are both going to be absolutely scuppered. For the foreseeable future.

Your innocence and naivety is frightening to this particular wizened old hag. It's big, bad world out there": it's getting badder by the day and there's pretty much naff-all that's going to get a roof over your three heads except you and your bloke. End of. Please get onto it while you still can.

SharkBait_3

j.e.j. wrote: »

You don't sound harsh so much as... embittered? Hope writing all that down made you feel a bit better anyway :rotfl:

Mupette sounds like she is telling it how it is to me. No sugar coating.

They need to find work and fast, gone are the days of a quick handout for pregnant teens. Its an Adult world they have decided to live in, quicker they realise this the better and easier it will be for them in the long term.

I wish you well with the pregnancy and baby OP. Both of you working and saving hard now may mean you can get your own place once baby is born - then atleast you will get some council help whilst you start out as a family.

*Redhead*

Make sure you apply for the Sure Start maternity grant (which would help with buying everything for baby) and for Healthy Start vouchers.

If I was you, I'd take some time to look in the paper/property websites about what housing is available and for how much a month/what deposit or bond is required.
You might struggle though, a lot of letting agencies will ask for a guarantor if you're on benefits or/and under 25.
Ask yours and your OH's families if they would be prepared to sign for you.

I don't think you'll have much luck with the council but put your name on the list anyway.

Wishing you luck anyway, the next few years will be hard work.

Miski

j.e.j. wrote: »

You don't sound harsh so much as... embittered? Hope writing all that down made you feel a bit better anyway :rotfl:

Meh, that was the truth. You can work when pregnant
I'm sorry OP, I wanted to be helpful but I think I may come off judgmental. I don't have alot of sympathy for those who cannot use protection correctly.

I'll just say good luck with your situation and for the future