teenage daughter to get no money plz help

bazza5070

I think most of the 'advice' given here is pretty irrelevant....

Your daughter has made choices:

1. to get pregnant
2. to drop out of education.

I think the onus is on her to support herself if these are the choices she has made, her actions are the reason you are no longer getting CB and CTC. I suggest as others have to get her back into education so you can at least re-claim these benefits.

Unfortunately the Lone Parent cycle turns full circle.......

bazza5070

It is very difficult for the 18-24 age group these days, I just wish the government would come out and admit the reason they are making us all work longer before retirement is because its cheaper to pay the under 25s unemployment benefit than it is to pay pensions!

I think just about all of us can see that one of the reasons there are so few jobs for youngsters is because we are all retiring later, its a mad mad mad mad world!!!! :beer:

mazza111

CKhalvashi wrote: »

And as also stated, above, OH had her first at 17, however we worked our way through Uni, have built up our own company over time and have never been on benefits, because in the environment that I grew up in, they weren't available.

She won't be the first too be caught out by this by any means, but there are alternatives to benefit.

CK

As I pointed out. These courses are great for school leavers who aren't academic. My son isn't the most academic, he's got the brain, but does no good in the classroom situation. They have 2 schemes running. Life skills - Which helps build their confidence, and Get Ready for Work, stating the obvious, helps them with things like CVs, covering letters etc, and sends them on placements.

I think it would be better to give the OP some advice than just slating her.

I don't know where you are in the country OP but these courses and ones like them are available throughout Scotland, and the first place to go is the careers office at the local college.

mazza111

And just to add, they get a small "training allowance" on these courses that could be around £50/week. Think my son gets £55/week (it was his first day yesterday, so could have figures slightly out), from that, he pays £3 and gets his bus pass, that would normally have cost around £20. He can use this bus pass anywhere locally, so very MSE!

At the end of the day, yes she must do something to help herself, but the help is there if you ask for it

Just hope it gives my wee man the confidence to get into his desired profession, as there weren't many replies to his apprenticeship letters.

Icequeen99

magzy1827 wrote: »

hi there hope someone can help..my daughter left school at christmas aged 16 and has not made any claim for benefit...as my tax credit and child benefit has now stopped...she tried to claim benefit only to be told that she's not entitled to anything...also she is 3 months pregnant...i am a single mum with 2 teen daughters eldest being 16 and the youngest is 14...i work but only term time..how do they expect me to manage if they give me no money to keep her ?? any suggestions wld be great thx....

Why has your CTC and CB stopped?

CTC is payable until 31st August following the child's 16th Birthday. If your daughter has just turned 16, then it would be paid until this coming 31st August.

The only exception is if the child works more than 24 hours a week or claims benefit in her own right which you said she hasn't.

See http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/keep-up-to-date/changes-affect/family-change/child-16.htm

IQ

mazza111

So the lass has been a bit silly. Why not offer advice instead of bolting the stable door after the horse has bolted? I think both the OP and her daughter know it's daft. Jee, if I'd to do it again, I wouldn't have had my first one until I was 30. We all make mistakes. But please, try advice instead of criticism, it does no good now.

mazza111

samwich1979 wrote: »

The fact is the OP just seems to want access to benefits 1) because her daughter has epilepsy and 2) she is now pregnant and jobless.

It is like she is trying every avenue to get extra money but not trying the obvious things like upping her work hours (which she can do as she has teenagers), sending her 16 year old child back into education, all of these things = extra money but there was no mention of these things by her, just benefits.

And if you read the thread again most have said these are the only viable and decent options to her accessing money as a 16 year old will not get benefits help until her baby is born.

Also it may be an after thought that she shouldnt have got pregnant in the first place but im sorry the daughter is responsible for what she does with her body and ultimately her mother should make sure if her daughter is sexually active that she is protected and is spoken and educated about what can happen to PREVENT it happening.

I think this thread probably annoys a lot of people because as teenagers they listened to advice about sex and the importance of education and didnt put themselves in such a difficult position. But now to do this without a thought for the consequences seems the norm and others are expected to pick up the pieces.

I have read the thread and offered advice if schooling isn't an option. Upping her hours at work may not be an option either. Some jobs are fixed term, set hours. And in case you haven't noticed, jobs can be rather hard to find atm.

Yes the daughter is responsible for getting pregnant at such a young age, no one is disputing that fact. But you can give a teenager all the contraception in the world, you can't force them to use it. There go I but for the grace of god! My son is sexually active, and I've bought him condoms, got him a C Card(so he can get free ones), spoke to them both about being responsible. I still had to go out and buy a pregnancy test :mad: And yes I feel angry about it too. And I've told my son if he doesn't double wrap it and it does happen, he'll be castrated so he can't do it again! So even with the best will in the world, you won't stop teenagers doing it.

Whilst I agree the mother should be exploring all education establishments, it's not easy to get a teenager to go to these things. The reason I mentioned things like Springboard and Rathbone is that they are easily accessible, keep the child related benefits, it's not like school, and a training allowance. Of course the other option is to throw her out on the streets and let the council deal with her. Young people of this age would get benefits in their own right if they were homeless or if there was a breakdown in the household.


As far as I can see the training schools would be the best option for this teenager.

I just don't think the level of criticism is going to help other than cause debate among us who have done things differently.

I ask you if you were in the same position, what would you do, if no extra work was available. Don't get me wrong, my daughter had more sense (thankfully), but my son seems to just care about getting it, typical man.

mazza111

And btw, both my kids were given the option of education or get a job, both went to these courses that were in the middle of the two, the help is there, you've just got to ask for it

Justicia

mazza111 wrote: »

Yes I also find throwing the responsibility on the state annoying, but even if she was in FT education, would this not be also putting responsibility on the state?

Yes, perhaps. Although, after achieving an education she would potentially be able to do something with her life and pay back into the system in the future (not just financially either) rather than become a Professional Claimant.

I would guess that she would rather be a success, than a statistic.

mazza111

Justicia wrote: »

Yes, perhaps. Although, after achieving an education she would potentially be able to do something with her life and pay back into the system in the future (not just financially either) rather than become a Professional Claimant.

I would guess that she would rather be a success, than a statistic.

I would hope so too. So would it not be better to encourage rather than criticise? Give the advice that's needed instead of throwing criticism at her, that's all I've asked