what can i claim??

[sarahharlow]

i am 16 years old and i am 3 months pregnent can i claim anything?....i am still with the father of the unborn child and he has a job asa roof but can i still claim benifits please help!!

[WendyS]

I'm afraid all you can probably claim is ignorance about contraception.
This may sound harsh but you presumably knew what you were doing when you were engaged on the "fun" part. . Why should other hard pressed taxpayers subsise your mistake?. If your boyfriend is employed, he should be taking financial responsibility for you and your child.

[sarahharlow]

sarah harlow: Wendy S..... i was on the contrceptive pill when i fel pregnent..

[yummymum]

Sarah Im guessing you came here for help so i will try and help, not call you for something which i not know fully about. Im not sure if you can claim anything til the baby is born but have a read on the job centre site(below) and ring you local citezens advice http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/contact_us/co ntactus/cita_offices.htm

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Bfsl1/BenefitsAndF inancialSupport/index.htm

ps you might want to look into getting a sure start maternity grant nearer the time

http://www.askcab.co.uk/money_site/mSSMG.asp

[boobesque]

Wendy, get off your high horse, accidents happen, I am 27 and I am the mother of an 8 month old one!

Sarah try this site http://www.entitledto.co.uk/

[yummymum]

boobesque...i was trying to find that!, nice to see someone being helpfull on here! xx

[Cockney_si]

Ooooh WendyS.... a bit harsh really....

Did you know that years ago people used to have children a lot younger.

I'm sure Sarahharlow has had all the taunts/insults/conclusions thrown at her and paid for all that before.

Advice is what she wants not judgement.

[sarahharlow]

thank you for all your advise people...from sarah XxX

[boobesque]

Well Yummymum, I just dont think that what wendy said was necessary, this is a site asking for advice, not berration!

My mum was 16 when she had me (planned but so what) and I turned out fine and there is no need for that attitude at all!

[tiny e.a]

Agreed, Sarah, if you'd like to speak to someone in person about it, it may be easier to explain your situation and circumstance in person and so get more concise advice, you could try a citizens advice bureau, there will be one near you and you can just wonder in, or even your local job centre plus. I know they deal with reemploying people but they also deal with benifit entitlements, again you can just wonder in and hopefully get an appointment for the same day.

[tigwig]

Well actually I agree with Wendy to a certain extent. Accidents do happen but I hate people who just assume they are entitled to benefits. If you are with the child's father and he has a job why should you get anything else? When my daughter was born my husband didn't earn a very big wage and the only benefit I got was child benefit and child tax credit which didn't really account for much. My opinion is if you are choosing to have children then you have to take responsibility for them financially as well as everyything else and nobody else should be expected to foot the bill for them. I am sure you will manage ok and maybe your parents could help out in emergencys When the baby arrives it will change your life completly but not in a bad way you may have to cut down on thing ans certainly won't be going out clubbing every week.

Good Luck!!

[yummymum]

Tigwig and wendy, we dont know this girls situation only that she is 16 and pregnant, for all we know she could be nearly 17 and then not as many people would be turning their noses up at her. Tigwig, are you telling me if you had been entitled to more benifits you wouldnt have taken them? i very much doubt it. And you also say if 'you are choosing to have children'... from what sarah says it was not a choice, she was on the pill.
I agree you should take care of your own children finacially how ever its not always as simple as that and I think as long as you dont plan to have children to be able to get benifits and stay on them for ever then you should be allowed to get what you are entitled to whilst you need the help, for all we know Sarah may well be planning to carry on with her studies as soon as she can. I have been on benifits since November last year up untill then i had always worked. The only reason i ended up on benifits was because I had a stroke and could no longer work, when i was fit enough to work i found out I was pregnnant and no one would employ me. Anybody looking in on my situation may see me as a typical Mum with one child and another on the way who claims benifits rather than work, I resent this very much and it just goes to show that you should never judge.

[Psychick]

At the end of the day, she has come here to get advice, does it really matter how old she is or isnt?

Sarah, if you want to speak to someone in person, go to your local benefits office, they will tell you what you are/ are not entitled to. I know for a fact you will get child allowance once the baby is born. Also go to your local council offices and make enquiries for housing and council tax benefit.

Your partner may be entitled to working tax credit, for the form to claim that, you need a number from the benefits office to call to ask for the form to be sent to you.

[tigwig]

to yummymum the age of Sarah makes no difference to my views whatsoever I feel the same about scroungers on benefits whatever there age not for one minute I am saying she is a scrounger its just that there is alot of scroungers in the world. There is nothing wrong with been on benefits if you really need them which you obviously did. As for the 'choosing to have her child' comment that is true she has made a decision to go ahead with her pregnancy or she could have made the decision to adopt but don't take that the wrong way nobody should be forced to do those things if they don't want to. All I was saying that people of any age who become pregnant whether planned or unplanned have to face up to their responsibilities and not expect everyone else to foot the bill because lets face it I bet there would be a hell of decrease of girls getting pregnant if there wasn't a benefit system in the first place. These days alot of girls thing that getting pregnant is an easy way to get a free house and be set up for life courtesy of the taxpayer, I personally know several but again I am not saying this is the case with Sarah

[sarahharlow]

i dont want to claim benifits and i want a job but i cant get one because i am regnent...no 1 will give me a job...tigwig,i am nt a scrounger,& if it was up to me i wud be working, i have tryed to get many jobs but they have turned me down because i am pregnent.

[EmEd1984]

did the potential employers tell you that was the reason?? thats completely illegal!!

read here

i hope everything works out for you xx

[sarahharlow]

i am the babys dad and im a roofer i work all week and as i am only 17 my self dont bring a great wage ome i pay enough tax and dont see why the goverment shouldnt help us out this dosnt make me or sarah scroungers