Financial help for two teenage orphans?

[ArtyFartyQueen]

Hi All

I hope someone might be able to help. Sadly my dear sister died on Monday and left two teenage children behind. Unfortunately she was in huge debt and renting so there will be no money for them. My niece is in her first year of uni and my nephew is in his first year of A-levels at a boarding school and I'm wondering if there is anyone that would know if there is any financial help for them/any specific benefits etc? My sister's best friend is going to take them in so they have a place to stay when they are not at school/uni.

Would appreciate any help that anyone can point me towards...

Many Thanks

www.buttleuk.org/

Thanks Burberry - very helpful

Turn2us.
Also try CAB - they might be able to point you in the right direction.

The one at uni, needs to write to her funding board, probably student loans company and her uni. They will massively up her funding. Include a copy of the death certificate.

Its hard to write that letter but worth it.

And my sincerest sympathies on the loss of your sister.

Who is paying the boarding school fees? Did your sis have no life insurance/inservice death benefits?

You need to write to the boarding school's headteacher. There's likely to be some sort of hardship fund. Also - think about any bodies like Freemasons, Round Table, Oddfellows, the Soldiers' Sailors' and Airforce Families' Association - could there be any conceivable source of help there (poss the teenagers' Dad could be the link).

The niece at university is LIKELY to come in for some extra help I think. There's a publication called the Directory of Grantmaking something-or-others. Poke about in the internet and you should find it. I'm quite sure your nephew and niece will both be eligible for financial help from one body or another - you just need to do a bit of sleuthing.

Good luck. It's very tough on the poor kids, and on you, of course.

I agree there must be sources of help out there for them. If you contact turn2us, as per the earlier link, they can do the trawling for you, and also answer your question about benefit entitlement.

I have teenagers, and threads like this remind you how vulnerable they still are.

Sympathies for you and the family.

Did she have a will?

Re your dn - your sisters best friend might count as privately fostering him if he's still 16. Contact your local authority as there might be access to funding that way. She should be able to get cb and maybe tax credits as he is in full time education. You need to do this because if it counts as private fostering after 13 weeks iirc he will count as a care leaver and be able to access more funds post 18 and for his own uni etc

I have nothing to help, but I am so sorry for your loss.

Frank buttle are good but a professional needs to apply.

It is worth running it past social services as this will come under the private fostering remit however there is no financial support for private fostering and they are not considered as care leavers.

In relation to uni she is now classed as an independent student so will be entitled to more help. Although its now end of the year it may be worth speaking to the uni hardship fund people