What benefits for a 17 year old pregnant girl?

[crosser62]

Was 17 last month, 8 weeks pregnant.
No prospect of ever getting a job, not been in school since aged 13.

How financially will she survive?

Lives with mother & mothers partner in rented accommodation. Has no income at all.
Are there even any benefits available to someone so young and totally dependant?

The mother of the 17 year old needed help caring for her growing up, and now thinks she can care for both her and her baby?
What a fucking shitshow
Why is only one of the two adults capable of working for a living, btw?

You wouldnt get a sw just for an autism diagnosis at 16. There must be something else as usually it’s a referral to camhs or asd services locally not ss

Could you encourage the 17 year old to join college for a ‘life and work skills course’ there’s various levels from what does GP stand for and this is how you make an appointment with role play/how to prepare basic meals/write a budgeted shopping list/ level 1 English/maths classes and sometimes colleges do morning ‘life and work skills’ and then the afternoons doing level 1 hair dressing/cooking/childcare. I’ve worked within these departments and they do wonders for young people with additional needs/dysfunctional backgrounds as it will raise her confidence and basic life skills plus they’ll be a safeguarding team to keep an eye on her. Could you try to organise this? There’s usually some childcare onsite - not sure if you’ve got the finances but could you bribe her with say £20 a week pocket money for attending or attempt to pursued her with it will look good to the SW for keeping the baby?

As for benefits I’m not sure. Poor girl, poor baby.

First thing I'd do would appeal against the PIP refusal, she can get support from CAB or local Carers support

I just wanted to share my situation as it may be somewhat helpful? Not really sure.

She will be entitled to claim the £500 maternity grant when she is 29 weeks. And is able to claim healthy start vouchers when she is 10 weeks (£3.10 per week for fruit and veg, which raises to £6.20 per week until baby is 1)
There are things such as baby bundle banks that her social worker or midwife may be able to look at and put in a referral for. And they are great! Saves a lot of money for someone who doesn't have any income. Also Facebook marketplace can be great for getting free baby items, just have to keep looking and checking every so often.
This is probably not that helpful since I'm not really sure of benefits before you're 18, but once she is 18, she'll be able to claim universal credit and the child aspect of universal credit too. And once baby is born, she'll also get child benefit (£21.05).
I know a 'termination' may seem like the best thing from an outsider perspective, but it's ultimately her choice and if she is going to keep the baby then the best thing for everyone to do it support her in doing so
Babies are only as expensive as you make them. Other than the basics, (nappies, toiletries, somewhere to sleep, clothes, food, and lots of love), they don't really need an awful lot of 'things', that's where the expenses are which can make having a baby seem like a LOT of money. By all means, it's not cheap and is a serious decision to make, however it doesn't have to be expensive if you get what I mean. For example, babies don't 'need' a sleepyhead (over £100), a fancy play gym (£50), or a bouncer/rocket/swing thing (can be up to £200).

I'm almost 18 and expecting my first baby in a few months time, I'm still living at home with my parents (I know my situation is completely different to the young lady you mentioned). I have a personal adviser with social services who has very kindly made a referral to a baby bundles bank. So far I've managed to get a play gym, baby bouncer, clothes for the first 3 months, lots of nappies, wipes, toiletries, a mini cot, and other bits (all got myself, not from the bundles bank, but looking on Facebook marketplace and also buying a pack of nappies every-time I'm in the supermarket).

I also have depression, anxiety and an eating disorder that I'm in recovery of, currently in the process of applying for pip too. I'm in no way 'mature' but knowing that it is my responsibility to care for this little person that I'm growing, and it's made me 'mature' a lot! I also don't have a job currently, but am saving any penny I can

I know it may not seem like she's mature enough, but having a baby will make her grow up an awful lot!

I don't know exactly what I was getting at, but I hope that maybe what I put was somewhat helpful

Why does the mother need to give up work to care for them both?

The grandmother of the future baby does not have to give up her job.
She can ask ss to support the 17 yr old and her baby while she out at work. Or support 17yr old's and baby to access mumandbaby placement which will build independence skills and make her a better mother instead of perpetuating carer role.

Of course there will be various benefits to access but they need to speak to an advisor directly.
But the futuregrandmother giving up work isnt the only way forward.

CAMHs were involved yes. Presumably this is how we became involved, not sure, just know that they were involved at one time.

Life and skills course sounds fantastic and perfect for her , thank you.

How do plan on supporting your child going forward, username?

@Thisismytimetoshine
I have my plan thank you very much

"she has never cared solely for her own child, my mother has done 80% of the care"

So she is not best placed to card for both teenager and baby?
Better to get teen and baby away to specialist mum and baby placement to learn skills.
Otherwise you just perpetuate the inadequacies

Username
You actually sound very level headed and brave.
The best of luck to you and your baby 😊

She can ask ss to support the 17 yr old and her baby while she out at work. Or support 17yr old's and baby to access mumandbaby placement which will build independence skills and make her a better mother instead of perpetuating carer role

Social services don't support mums to care for their babies on a daily basis. The kind of resources you're talking about (including parent and baby placement) are extremely costly and are only accessible at the point of care proceedings (and not always then, parent and baby placements are not terribly effective) or funded privately, which clearly this grandmother doesn't have the funds for.

Is she your niece? Just an educated guess from your posts.

Would you be in a position to care for the baby? Apologies if I am barking up the wrong tree.

@usernameannonymous from your post, it seems like although you haven't had an ideal start, you have taken many things into consideration and been proactive at organising any realistic help and support you can in preparation. I have no doubt you will support your baby when it arrives, as you are supporting the baby before they are here.

I wish you the best of luck, and congratulations on your pregnancy.

@Samtsirch

Thank you

@GlitterDragon
Thank you
Obviously my situation isn't ideal but I'm making it work, and trying my best

Quote from crodser67 :
"Not sure if she gets on with the new partner, certainly her & her mother cannot stand partners small child. For this reason I can’t see the relationship lasting."
Red flag there - both can't stand a small child of mom's partner where they currently living.
How the hell will they cope with newborn helpless innocent baby especially if father 18yrs old is not around.
What about his family offering support? Their grandchild too.

@usernameannonymous I genuinely don’t know what more you could have done in your situation in terms of preparation / realistic expectations. You can only play with the hand you are dealt.

She is my niece, I would make every effort to take in the child yes.
We don’t have the room, I have 2 kids myself, but I would do my best to accommodate.
I would offer a great life to the baby.

@crosser62
I know you mentioned that the mother and 17 year old don't like the partners child about, have you spoken with them about how she feels about having a baby? x

What a car crash

Hopefully social services will be in touch with you and your Mum and you can both be honest about the situation and your DN and her DM ability to cope.

Hopefully that could be a potential solution then - but I appreciate it's all very complicated.

The issue is, she could just as easily do this again, couldn't she. Perhaps looking at a more long-term means of contraception that she doesn't need to think about, such as an implant, might be suitable for her? I don't mean that she shouldn't still take care, but with the information you've given us about her it seems like a sensible insurance policy, if she agrees of course.

This is a sad situation to be dealing with.I am sure that there will be a lot of help around, for this vulnerable girl. I would just be worried about all the pregnancy issues that she has to contend with,if she is not aware of some things, Then the birth,looking after the baby, the feeding of the baby etc.

All the issues for the future look a bit bleak at the moment, but you can only hope, that things work out somehow.

She has a social worker I think because she was 16 and diagnosed with autism

Nope, not how it works. You don't get a social worker just because you're 16 and get diagnosed with autism. There must be something else going on.
And being turned down for PIP doesn't mean someone isn't entitled to it, they turn most people down hoping they won't have the ability to appeal. Something like 70% of people win their tribunal.