Underage mum and benefits

me_and_me_monkeys

This post is for a good friend of mine who is desperate for advice.Her 14 year old daughter ran away to be with her 17 year old bf (mum found out his age and it all kinda kicked off). After a lot of talking (3 months of) the daughter is now home and attending school but has just found out she is pregnant.The daughter wants to keep the baby and stay on in education and get her GCSEs, but its going to be really tough, emotionally and financiallyMums a single parent on income support and has one younger daughter.Can anyone help them with any ideas of what to do financially, they are still in shock (especially mum). Although the situation is sad, she isn't the first and she won't be the last but I have to admire the fact that she wants to study and get to a point where she can earn. Many thanks

misty

I don't know about benefits - maybe the benefits board would be a better bet. The LEA will have a dept that deals with teenage mothers and they should be able to help with supporting her in her education eg. before and after having the baby. What has the school said about her returning? do they know? Where I live they have special units that teenage mothers attend together - that way they can support and share experiances with one another. I'm not sure if these are voluntary etc. I'm guessing there will be health and safety issues. As you say she's not on her own in the situation so there should be help available.

misty

I had a quick scout around and found this info.

http://www.ivillage.co.uk/pregnancyandbaby/pregnancy/financepreg/articles/0,9547,14_187892-2,00.html#one


It appears that your friend will be able to claim some extra money for her daughter. The daughter can't claim anything in her own right aprt from Child benefit (after the baby is born) as she is under 16.

Hope that helps

me_and_me_monkeys

thanks.I have bookmarked the page and will show her it when i see her this week.Please can a mod (or whoever has the ability) switch this to the correct board when they get a min. Thanks and sorry for the extra work

pinkshoes

She could always consider adoption, as there are 100s of couples on waiting lists to adopt babies. She really needs to speak to other 14 year olds who have had a baby, to get a perspective on how hard it's going to be.

If I was her mother I'd be prosecuting the 17 year old father and having him charged!!!

Justie

pinkshoes wrote: »

If I was her mother I'd be prosecuting the 17 year old father and having him charged!!!

cos that would achieve so much...


to the OP as has been said the girl herself can't get any benefits except child benefit (and possibly a sure start) but her mum will be able to. Schools are much better set up than they were in my day and with the correct support many teenage mums now go on to do better academially than their peers so if she can stick with it through the hard first years she could still have a bright future ahead of her.

BernadetteN

Work??

Grandfathers, grandmothers, father? Don't any of them work at all?

I had a part-time job as a 14 year old so what would prevent the soon to be mum from working after school. The rules are restrictive at 14 but it is still possible. Even a paper round / leaflet dropping job is better than nothing.

If she is mature enough to make the decision to have sex, she should be mature enough to deal with the consequences. I know this sounds really hard but why should she get any benefits (other than on a short-term basis or other than due to GENUINE ill-health or disability)?

Katgoddess

There is funding available to help with childcare costs while she is in education.

I shall return with a link!

Here you go:

http://direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/14To19/MoneyToLearn/Caretolearn/DG_066556

It's called Care To Learn

angie_baby

Can the father not get a job as he is 17?

Acc72

I don't want to be judgemental, and I understand that a major consideration is money.

But, what I don't understand is why do people automatically assume that the money should come from benefits (i.e. from taxes paid by people in work) ?

Although I understand that the grandmother to be will be concerned - has she not thought about getting a job herself, or asking the father to get a job etc. to pay for the child.

From the information we know, this child will be at least a third generation brought up on benefits.

Statistically speaking, the chances are this family will continue to claim benefits infinitum.

Anyway, enough of this posting - my lunch break is nearly over : must get back to work to help pay for all of this ...........

angie_baby

Also is she prepared that people will judge her over this, she really needs to think about this. It is not easy when you are 30, let alone 14.