What are you entitled to as a young couple expecting a baby? I am 19 and my partner is 25. Help please!
| Related: | Personal Finance•Tax•Tax Credits |
We don't live together at the moment and are looking for a house asap. However I have just finished an apprenticeship & am unemployed, and my partner earns 1000 before tax. I have just found out that I am 4weeks pregnant, and we are really scared as we don't know how we can cope.
We have looked into what benefits we are entitled to, but it is very complicated and confusing trying to find out online. We are going to make an appointment with the Citizens Advice Bureau.
I just wondered if anyone else is in the same situation and would please give us some advise?
Any advise welcome!
Thanks
Jade
Answers (1)
Hi Jade and welcome to the forum.
The first thing to do is not to panic and make that CAB appointment as soon as you can. Obviously the situation is going to be a lot simpler once you start living together as you will be dependents.
Once you live together and you have found accommodation, you should investigate Housing and Council Tax Benefits ( that's help towards your rent and council tax bill ).
Your partner should also check whether he is eligible for Working Tax Credit but remember that must be declared for purposes of housing benefit assessment.
Once the baby is here, you can claim Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit ( they are two different benefits ).
You personally may be able to sign on and claim Job Seekers Allowance, certainly until you live together or you have time off to have the baby.
The CAB will run through all of these matters with you and help you make the appropriate claims. Also, if you need help with a deposit for accommodation, your local council may run a 'Deposit Guarantee Scheme' for a loan towards the required deposit. I assume that you have completed a housing application with your local council?
Posts within the money.co.uk community represent the views, experiences and opinions of members only. They should not be taken as financial advice and should not be followed without further research.
More Questions for Tax Credits
Get fast answers to your money questions, Expert insight, top tips & much more...
Hi Snoopy
Thank you, that was very helpful and has given me some food for thought to start the ball rolling :)
I will look into everything you mentioned, the only thing is we haven't completed a housing application - how would we apply for this?
Neither of us have claimed benefits before so we don't know where to start!!
Thank you for your advice so far,
Jade
Hi Jade ... re the Housing Application, call or phone your local council offices for one. You should be aware of course that the chances of suitable accommodation are very low as there are, I believe, in excess of two million on the housing register nationwide. But you should do it all the same.