Lone Parents Support - Benefits and support for pregnant teenagers and young lone parents

The benefit and support system for young people under the age of 18 is complicated. This factsheet focuses on the situation for young women under the age of 18 who find themselves pregnant and what they can claim as a young lone parent.

PREGNANT UNDER 16

Benefits
If you are under the age of 16 you are legally still a child. There are few benefits you can claim in your own right.

These are administered by the Department of Health. To obtain these collect the form Free Milk for Pregnant Women from your GP or telephone 08701 555455 to get one. They can also claim the Sure Start Maternity Grant (SSMG), a payment of £500 to spend on items for the baby. This can be claimed from 11 weeks before your Expected Week of Childbirth (EWC) until up to 3 months after the birth.

They may also qualify to claim the SSMG if they receive CTC at a rate higher than the family element (£10.50 a week or £21.00 a week if they have a child under the age of one) and/or qualify for any rate of Working Tax Credit (WTC) if they are a disabled worker. The same time limits to claim apply.

After the birth
Once you have the baby, you can claim CB, currently £17.00 a week for the first or only child. There is no lower age restriction on this benefit. If your parent(s) qualify for CTC it may better for them to claim this for your child, as you can't claim CTC till you are 16 and the family may lose out on up to £53.41 a week CTC.

A CTC claimant must be 'responsible' for the child they claim for. It is unclear whether your parent(s) can claim CTC for a child for whom you receive CB as the Inland Revenue (IR) may argue you are the 'responsible' person, and should claim instead, but you can't claim until you are 16. This point has not yet been tested in tax credit law and if your parent claims and is refused, you may wish to appeal. However appeals can take a long time so it may be better to let your parent claim CB in the first place so they can claim CTC and your family does not lose money.

As long as you count as a child for CB purposes your parent(s) can continue to receive CB for you. If the person claiming for you claims Income Support or income based JSA, or receives CTC (and no WTC) and has a household income of less than £13,480 a year and there is a child under the age of five in the household then milk tokens can be paid, claim as above.

Living away from home
Some parents react badly to news of under age pregnancy. If they ask you to leave home you may be able to stay with a relative or responsible adult friend. They can claim benefits for you in the same way a parent can if they qualify - see Article BENEFITS FOR LONE PARENTS for details. If you stay with a couple they may be able to claim benefits such as CTC for you in addition to CB. The DWP leaflet BABIES AND CHILDREN (BC1) gives more details:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/resourcecentre/fam_child.asp

If you do not have a relative or adult friend to take you in you should approach your council's Social Services to 'look after' you. You should be a priority as they have a legal duty to care for vulnerable young people such as pregnant teenagers. You are likely to be placed in accommodation which has specialist facilities for pregnant women and young mothers and babies, or with a foster carer. Under 16s will not be placed in a flat or house on their own. Social Services should ensure you are fed and clothed and have access to education.

You can choose to leave the care of Social Services at the age of 16. However you should take advice about this. The Leaving Care Act 2000 means many care leavers are unable to claim benefits as Social Services are expected to support them practically with housing and money and give them emotional support beyond their 16th birthday. If you are one of the people Social Services should take responsibility for and you have a baby, you should be able to claim Income Support (once you turn 16), but you will not be able to claim Housing Benefit.

Voice of the Child in Care gives advice to children and young people who are in care or are considering going into care: 0808 800 5792, 9.30am-5.30pm, Monday - Friday

http://www.vcc-uk.org/vcc_public/default.asp

You can find further information on the law relating to care at:

www.carelaw.org.uk/

PREGNANT AT AGE 16 OR 17

Benefits if you are not working
Most 16 and 17 year olds living at home find it difficult to claim benefits. However some pregnant 16 and 17 year olds are allowed to claim benefits in their own right once they get to a certain point in the pregnancy. If you have savings of less than £8,000 and do not have any other income you may be able to claim IS, currently £33.85 a week while you are pregnant.

You cannot get IS before the birth if you live at home and are still in full time education.
If you have left school and are seeking work you can claim IS 11 weeks before your EWC because you are expecting a baby.
If you are ill as a result of your pregnancy you may be able to claim IS earlier because you are sick otherwise you may be able to claim Severe Hardship Payment or JSA before the 11th week.

Whilst on IS you can get free milk tokens and vitamins while you are pregnant. These are administered by the Department of Health. To obtain these collect the form Free Milk for Pregnant Women from your GP or telephone 08701 555455 to get one. You can claim the SSMG of £500 for items for the baby at this point, and this can be claimed up to 3 months after the birth.

Some pregnant women and mothers with a baby under the age of 1 qualify for milk tokens, free NHS dental treatment and optical treatment, free prescriptions and travel to hospital. If you remain on IS, this help will continue.

After the birth
Once the baby is born you can claim for your child or your parent(s) could claim for you and the baby.
If you claim for yourself and your baby you can claim CB of £17.00 a week and CTC of £53.41 a week for the first year (reducing to £42.91 after that). If you haven't claimed your SSMG you should do so. You may also qualify for IS.
You will be expected to also make a claim to the Child Support Agency (CSA) for maintenance; see below for further details.

You can continue to claim IS if you have a child and remain in education if you meet the other rules such as not having too much capital (savings) or other income. If you claim Income Support or receive CTC (and no WTC) and her a household income of less than £13,480 a year you have a child under the age of five in the household then milk tokens can be paid, claim as above.

Your parent(s) will be unable to continue to claim benefits for you if you claim for yourself and the baby. Your family may be better off as a whole if your parents claim for you and your baby, depending upon the circumstances.

Not living at home
If you are asked to leave your parental home then you could stay with a relative or responsible adult friend. They could claim benefits for you if they qualify until you can claim for yourself.

You may want to live independently. If you are 'estranged' from your parents you may qualify for income based JSA or Severe Hardship Payments or Income Support if in full time non advanced education. 'Estranged' broadly means your relationship with your parent(s) has broken down and it is impossible for you to continue to live together and both you and your parent(s) feel the same way.

You must register with Connexions or the Careers Service (in Wales) for work or training and they will look at whether you qualify for a payment. The Jobcentre will be responsible for paying you. Income based JSA will be £44.05 and a severe hardship payment is usually up to 90% of this figure. Once you get to 11 weeks before your EWC you can claim Income Support as outlined above.

You can claim Housing Benefit (HB) to help with rent if you can show you are liable to pay rent. There may be restrictions on the amount housing benefit will pay. Before you have the baby you will be restricted to an amount that will pay for a single room in your area if you are in private rented accommodation. Once the baby is born the single room restriction no longer applies. See our article HELP WITH YOUR RENT.

If you are homeless you should apply to the local council for accommodation. You should be in priority need because you are pregnant. They will initially offer you temporary accommodation which may be a hostel or B & B.

If you live alone or with other under 18s your home is exempt from council tax and you do not have to pay. If you live in a hostel or B&B you should not be charged for council tax.

Social Services also have the power to accommodate young people aged 16 and 17 but will only do this in exceptional circumstances if they consider you to be especially vulnerable. They may offer you a place in a mother and baby unit or could find you both a foster placement.

If you leave your parental home without what are considered to be good reasons you will find it difficult to claim anything until you reach 11 weeks before your EWC. You should seek advice from Connexions or the Careers Service (in Wales) and see our article BENEFITS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE FROM 16 UNTIL THEIR 19TH BIRTHDAY.
MAINTENANCE

The father of your child has a legal duty to maintain his child. This means he should contribute towards the costs of bringing up a child. You can come to a private arrangement with him or you could ask the Child Support Agency (CSA) to assess and collect maintenance for you.

If you claim IS you will be expected to apply to the CSA in most cases as explained on the previous page. If your parent(s) claim CB for the baby they (rather than you) must apply to the CSA as they are responsible for your child in this situation as the 'person with care'. If you claim CB for your baby, you can apply to the CSA. Some fathers, such as those still at school or in prison, do not have to pay maintenance.

If their circumstances change they can be reassessed if you or the father notifies the CSA. The process of applying to the CSA is covered in more detail in our article THE CHILD SUPPORT AGENCY for more details.

If the CSA manages to collect maintenance from the father it is paid to you in full, but if you are on IS you only keep the first £10 of maintenance (known as the Child Maintenance Premium); the rest is deducted from your benefit.

EDUCATION
Your pregnancy will inevitably disrupt your education.
Your school or college should make every effort to help you continue your education. Unfortunately some schools exclude students on the grounds of pregnancy, citing health and safety. You should only be offered education outside of the school environment if there is a valid reason why you cannot attend school such as illness or bullying because of your pregnancy or you have been excluded for some other reason.

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) have issued a circular to local education authorities and head teachers: Guidance on the education of school age parents which sets out their obligations and gives advice about supporting pregnant pupils in school (DfES/0629/2001, issued 12/10/2001)

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/schoolageparents/

If you have been excluded because of your pregnancy you should seek advice about your rights from the Advisory Centre for Education which advises on issues to do with state education: 0808 800 5793, 2-5, Monday to Friday.

http://www.ace-ed.org.uk/

You may be worried that having a baby means you can't continue your education. There is a government scheme called Care to Learn which pays for registered childcare such as childminders or a nursery to enable you to continue your education. You can claim up to £5,000 a year for childcare and travel expenses.

This is available for students until their 19th birthday, and there are pilots extending the provision to parents who are already 19 and still in education in a school sixth form or sixth form college. Contact the Care to Learn helpline for more details on 0845 600 2809

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/caretolearn/indexflash.shtml

If you remain in education and decide your parents should claim benefits for you and your child instead of you claiming for yourself, you may qualify for an Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA). This is a payment of up to £30 a week to help you with the expenses of remaining in education. You may also qualify for up to 5 bonuses of £100 if you make good progress on your course. It is means tested on the income of your parent(s). You can find out more by calling the DfES on 0808 10 16 219.

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/financialhelp/ema/.

WORKING AND PREGNANT
If you are classed as an employee you have exactly the same employment rights as any other pregnant woman. You have the right to time off for antenatal care, the right to maternity leave, protection against unfair treatment or dismissal because you are pregnant, and the right to protection under health and safety law.

If you are pregnant and have worked before and during your pregnancy you may qualify for maternity benefits. If you have had a part time job before and/or during your pregnancy and earned on average £30 a week, Maternity Allowance (MA) may be payable.

If you have had a job before and during your pregnancy paying at least £82 a week on average then you may qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP). Benefits and maternity rights are covered in more detail in our article, MATERNITY CHECKLIST.

The Maternity Alliance can offer detailed advice about maternity rights.
020 7490 7638.

http://www.maternityalliance.org.uk/

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I TURN 18?
When you get to the age of 18 you are usually treated as an adult by the benefits system. If a parent or carer has been claiming for you they may no longer receive benefits for you and you must apply for yourself. Our articles, BENEFITS FOR LONE PARENTS and, BENEFITS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE FROM SIXTEEN UNTIL THEIR 19TH BIRTHDAY have more details.

SUPPORT FOR TEENAGE LONE PARENTS
Being a new mum is challenging. You may find you need both practical and emotional support.
Health visitors and the baby clinic can be useful sources of advice and support post childbirth. They should also know about any local specialist young lone parent support projects. These may be run by organisations such as Sure Start or Barnardos.

You may feel you need help getting to grips with parenting - it doesn't always come naturally. Parentline Plus offer advice and information about all aspects of parenting, and can also give you information about parenting classes. Their helpline is open 24 hours a day 0808 800 2222.

http://www.parentlineplus.org.uk/templates/home/index.cfm

Another useful publication is the "Young Mum's Guide" produced by One Parent Families. This includes information on a wide range of issues from getting back into education and work, finding a home, claiming benefits and tax credits, knowing your rights, managing your money and more. 0800 018 5026

Gingerbread offers a network of self help groups for lone parents and their children. These groups aim to allow people in similar situations to come together and share experiences, skills and knowledge to help themselves. Ring our membership team at the national office for further information and to find out whether there is a group near you.
0800 018 4318.