I need help, big big mess. (long so huge apologies)

[Numbthumbs]

Basically we are up shit creek without a paddle and i cant eat or sleep with worry. Ill quickly outline my background info and then post some questions at the end (just trying to keep it organised as its going to be long and i dont want you to get bored)

I am at uni, was just about to start my 3rd year. I am at uni or on placement at my local hospital for most of the week so i cant work many hours but i did receive a small bursary. I also work on a saturday to pay my personal bills (mobile and petrol).
I had a baby at the end of my 2nd year (took a year out on mat leave and spent all our savings) so would need to put her in childcare whilst im at uni so I reapplied for funding and they have informed me that i am ineligable for help with childcare as DP earns too much.

DP earns £23K a year, £1500 a month is hardly a fortune. Our rent is £550 and with other bills (utlilities, council tax etc) our total monthly expenditure is £1200 a month, excluding DP's busfare to work and our food bill (which is about £200 a month). I cannot afford to go to university 5 days a week and put DD into childcare - £500 month - with no funding. Also to make matters worse, because i failed a small element of my 2nd year i have to resit it and because of this they will not pay me my monthly bursary anymore so i will not even be getting the small monthly amount that i was receiving.

Im going to have to withdraw from the degree which makes me mad as ive only got 12 months left.

I am also pg with DC2 (a very big but lovely suprise) and will be looking at even more outgoings in terms of childcare come next year.

So, my questions are is it possible to find work whilst being pg? Im 21 weeks and the kind of work ill be looking for is healthcare assistant etc either nights or twilight shifts (so DP is at home looking after DD) do i have to tell them im pregnant in the application?
Also where can i get financial advice from to find out if im entitled to any benefits?? i rang the job centre and asked about JSA but they said that because my DP works full time i wont be eligable for anything even though we arent married.

The stress is making me unhappy, ive just cried to the midwife. Thank you for reading if you have got this far, im sorry its long and not put together well but im not sure who to turn to.

So sorry to hear this :( Must be devastating to think that you may have to give up. I'm not sure of the best options but all I can suggest is the CAB - they may be able to give you some advice on where to go to get financial help . Not a lot of help but just wanted to say I'm sorry.

This sounds really stressful, numbthumbs.

Have you tried speaking to the welfare department of your uni? They might know of extra funding sources, or might help fight for you. It's not in the uni's interest to have a high drop-out rate.

I also agree that Citizens Advice Bureau are the best people to talk to about benefits, they will be on your side.

Are you receiving tax credits?

Can you defer a further year? That would take the stress off this year, then you can reassess after DC2.
Do you have to resit the entire year or just one module concurrently with Y3?

Thank you for taking the time to read and reply.

I have a meeting with my tutor at 1.30 to discuss what exactly is going on and have spoken to the bursary company regarding funding - they agree that none is avaliable.
I only have to resit one module from 2nd year and im assuming that it is concurrent with YR3 but not sure, guess i will get some answers later....

I am receiving tax credits and benefit so that is a big help but we have been trying to save that and pretend we arent getting it so we have a bit of a security blanket if anything happens like the boiler exploding! I think we have about £250 in a savings account as we have had to dip into it for DDs first pair of shoes and a carpet cleaner vaccum thingy.

Im so nervous about this meeting, will post when i get home.

Could you do your final year by distance learning or online? Talk to the equal opportunities rep at your Uni to see how the coursework can be adapted to suit your family circumstances. Perhaps you could get lectures recorded and watch them once your DC is in bed. Lecturers could email you notes.
I took my DD to lectures with me as she was born 1 month into one of my modules. She mostly slept or fed, I kept my work up.
Good luck.

Have you taken out your student loan? For the sake of a year, if it is likely you will get work at the end I would use savings to continue with your course. Hope the meeting comes up with some solutions.

Child benefit, working tax credits, child tax credits?

Housing benefit?

Thanks again for all the replies and suggestions.

I had my meeting, didnt go so well. The schedule of the degree and the timing of my babies birth is pretty much incompatible and the last thing i want is to fail and be withdrawn from the course becasue then my future is pretty much buggered.
They have been pretty good and agreed to hold my place for 12 months so i can take a gap year and think about what i am going to do. It also gives me time to concentrate on DD and the baby without being stressed about uni work etc.
Doesnt help my money issues as i have spoken to the job centre/DWP place and they said that as we are a couple with 1 child we have to be earning less than £18k (ish) to qualify for any benefits. I was shocked, that is such a low income level. The situation will change once DC2 is born but until then we dont know how.

Ive applied for a few jobs today, havent put that im pregnant in the application form but if they offer me an interview ill have to deal with it then.

Unfortunately our savings have pretty much dwindled down to nothing and as im not longer classed as a student as im interrupting study for 12 months im not entitle to any grants/loans from them.

I feel really down but kind of glad that at least i know what im doing for the next 12 months. Im off to do meal planners etc to keep my food bills down and to ring the childminder and give my notice which is awful as DD loves it there.

I think you need a bit of a reality check. Your partner is earning nearly the national average salary. You've had one baby whilst doing your degree and another on the way. You would prefer to save your tax credits and benefits, and you don't understand why you aren't entitled to more money because your partner isn't your DH!

I understand you want to finish your degree and I think you should look at other options like the open university, however, how much money do you expect to be given to you?

Lots of people are on £23000 and aren't expecting more and more. You need to get it into perspective. Lots of people are in far worse financial situations than you. There are ways around getting qualifications. I also don't understand how you're getting tax credits if your partner is earning over £18000 and you only have one child.

On health courses, a student can't usually progress to the next year if they are repeating a module (it's only 1 module, so 1 lecture a week or so). This means no bursary. I know of students who have done some bank nursing/HCA whilst they are doing the module, but the NHS bursary unit won't pay as it's not full time. If you're doing this over a year then you only need childcare whilst you're doing the module, so you won't need £500 a month for childcare.

Journey you are probably right, i do need a reality check. My emotions are so raw about the whole uni thing. I just cant see why the bursary people would be happy to pay me nearly £4000 a year to train, all my tuition fees and pay me throughout maternity leave and then just allow me to walk away without the qualification i signed up for.

Just for the record i applied to HMRC for tax credits legitimately and just like everybody else and this is what they awarded us, i sent all the stuff they asked for and have proven everything. We get child tax credits - not working tax credits.

I woul do HCA bank work but when i rang the hospital to get on the bank they told me to ring back after ive had the baby.

Im going to be a SAHM.

I am receiving tax credits and benefit so that is a big help but we have been trying to save that and pretend we arent getting it so we have a bit of a security blanket if anything happens like the boiler exploding! I think we have about £250 in a savings account as we have had to dip into it for DDs first pair of shoes and a carpet cleaner vaccum thingy.

Why would you save tax credits when you obviously need them?

Because thats how we are, we arent saving them now obviously.

I thought you would tell me to get lost op but I just thought seeing the other side of the coin might help you. I understand your frustration about your degree and I hope you manage to finish your degree one day. Just remember a degree isn't the be all and end all.

You could train up in a pharmacy as a dispenser for instance and then move into a hospital environment via NVQs for instance. While you're on maternity leave look at other career routes. Since you'll have two dcs soon could you even manage to do the job you wanted to do with the degree? I know a lot of people with good degrees and work experience and when their dcs come along they need to retrain because it just isn't practical.

The point I'm trying to make is enjoy your dc and your pregnancy. Life can take unexpected turns but things will workout. You've got a good attitude by the way you replied to me! Qualities like that will get you far.

Good luck with future plans and enjoy your dcs now.

Can you retake the bit of module you failed this year before the baby is born?

Then when you go back you have it out of the way and can focus on your final year.

Also, if you have a look on MSEforums there is a board called "Up your income" which gives lots of things that can be done from home. Lionbridge seems to have lots of fans although I'm not sure if they are recruiting at the moment.

I don't think these things are brilliantly paid but if you can do them from home then you have no childcare or travel costs which means that they are better paid than they seem.