Benefits/help for 19yr old employed girl?

chris1973

her parents are not together and neither will let her live with them.

Since one of her parents is your own offspring, I hope you are really proud of them. I appreciate that 19 isn't a child any longer, but having their own Daughter "Sofa surf" with friends etc and be essentially homeless, instead of offering her a room / bed / floor / garden shed just smacks of yet another "Lets make it society's problem".

I can't believe that there are Parents out there, who see being a parent and all of its responsibilities as being something which comes complete with an expiry date. Perhaps those type of Parents shouldn't have opted for the role in the first place - just saying, because it is a choice after all

Sorry, if you don't like what I say (cry me a river), but clearly we are dealing with a situation which could be straight out of a Dickens' novel. Thank god she has friends with Sofa's - who, by their own actions, seem to value her welfare over her own family.

There could be lots of reasons why she can't offer her GD a home - she may live in sheltered housing and not be allowed anyone living with her, she may have retired to the middle of nowhere where there's no jobs, she may live in a bedsit and simply not have room...

Sorry, but there are Three people already in this equation. Mummy, Daddy and Granny, all, from what I can see, living at different addresses. I refuse to believe that all of them are living in Sheltered housing or are otherwise unable to put up guests for a while, even if its only their own Sofa or a cheap camp bed / sleeping bag from off Ebay. Thousands of people are doing that at the moment in flats and houses, all over the Country and putting themselves out for a week or so in order to offer their own hospitality to visitors over Xmas, so I don't believe for one minute that one family member or even one of her own Parents couldn't do that much for this 19 year old, even if it meant it was only on a temporary basis, or over the Xmas period.

There may be other reasons that we are not aware of relating to why she is estranged from her own parents - True, I agree, but since this Girl has already got herself a job (albeit part time) and isn't already bringing up a tribe of Children from different Fathers, then really, just from the bit that we have been told already, she doesn't strike me as a typical tearaway / troublemaker, certainly not to the extent that she would have got herself potentially kicked out of THREE different homes.

What would I do if I was the OP?, well first i'd be around to my own Son / Daughter to make these points to them, and hope to kick some reality into them verbally and tell them that their parental responsibilities don't end when their "kids" leave School. Certainly I would have done that much before asking a bunch of strangers on an internet forum for a solution.

If all of this has blown up because of family fall outs and that people aren't speaking to each other then perhaps its time to try and put that right - we are a long time dead and nobody else has ever managed to come back to reconcile people, so its better to try and do it whilst we are alive. :j

Ames

She's only been 'kicked out' of two homes, and we don't know why. It could be anything from nightmare teenager doing drugs in front of toddler sibling, to crappy parents who have lost benefits and don't want the financial burden. The third home is the OPs, and she hasn't been kicked out, all we know is it's not suitable long term. We don't know why.

NYM

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the 'system' the OP's g/daughter is entitled to receive help and advice about finding a place to live, from her local authority.

That might be the best place to start...

Blackpool_Saver

I hope this child gets the help and support she needs.

specialboy

Blackpool_Saver wrote: »

I hope this child gets the help and support she needs.

She is not a child, she is an adult.

Ames

specialboy wrote: »

She is not a child, she is an adult.

In which case she's as entitled to help as much as any adult. Would people be saying a 40 year old should be sleeping on her Granny's floor? Or would they accept that providing short term help to get on her feet is exactly what the system is designed for?

Blackpool_Saver

specialboy wrote: »

She is not a child, she is an adult.

Hmmm, so why can't she get adult benefits then?

Seems to me the law says she is an adult, but treats her like a child who should still be supported.

Blackpool_Saver

blondebubbles wrote: »

This explains some of their reasoning behind bot giving benefits to under 25s with no children or disabilites

http://www.parliament.uk/Templates/BriefingPapers/Pages/BPPdfDownload.aspx?bp-id=SN03793

Yes and I would agree with that, BUT in some situations it isn't possible and forces youngsters to stay in abusive situations or commit crime to feed themselves, or sofa surf like this young lady is doing. Every situation should be judged upon its own merits. There is no one size fits all.

racon

Blackpool_Saver wrote: »

There is no one size fits all.

Hey, which is the case with the vast majority of benefits that can be claimed or are just given simply because of age or situation.

Horseunderwater

Has the OP thought to try Shelter at all. http://www.shelter.org.uk/ link takes you there.