Benefits for newly graduated student

[Enimhaol]

I am a 21 year old student who is graduating in the end of May, and I am due to give birth at the end of July. I will be unable to work between now and then due to the nature of my degree, as well as my living situation as I live with my parents with no access to public transport and I can’t drive. When the baby arrives I will no longer be able to live at home due to space issues and will have to move out. I will be moving to Austria to live with my partner who will still be in university until the end of 2026. I will have no income and have very little savings. I have no idea where or how to apply for funding to help pay for rent for the first few months until I can start working. His income will not be sufficient to support the three of us and I can’t get any support from my family as my parents are retired and only one has a pension. Any recommendations on how I can make money or what type of grant to apply for would be super useful! Thanks

Are you sure this plan is viable? For a start you’d presumably need to get a visa to live in Austria longer than the 90 days you’d be able to. Is your partner Austrian? You would be putting yourself into a very vulnerable position leaving the county with no money and no guarantee you’d be eligible for social security in Austria.

Do you have EU citizenship or will you need a visa to live in Austria? There.may be additional financial requirements for that.

Could you move to Austria sooner?

And work once baby is 9 weeks and use a nursery?

This.

Have you thought this through OP? It’s not as easy as just getting on a plane to Austria and not coming back.

Have you ever had a job? If you’re in England & not working then you won’t be eligible for SMP but you might be eligible for Maternity Allowance depending on your circumstances.

You could check your eligibility & apply for UC, you can put yourself on the council housing list but it would take them more than a few months to house you so that would be pointless if you’re going to Austria, private renting isn’t really an option if you’re only going to be a few months because you’re going to struggle to find a tenancy for such a short space of time.

Your best option really is to have the baby & move if that’s what you want to do, then start working as soon as you can.

@Enimhaol when are you planning on moving to Austria? You can’t claim benefits in the UK was living in Austria I presume.

Youre highly unlikely to be entitled to any benefits in Austria since you're not Austrian. You won't be eligible for UK benefits since you won;t be living in the UK.

I am an Irish citizen so I can move to Austria without any issue, rent is impossible in Ireland so it isn’t an option to stay.

You cannot move to Austria to live with your partner if he cannot provide an income for the 3 of you.

this is not a viable plan.

Will the father of the baby be paying child support?

I have Irish citizenship so I don’t need a visa

Same goes…you cannot claim benefits in Ireland and live in Austria @Enimhaol that’s not how it works. Are you married?

Am I entitled to benefits as an eu citizen, I’m from Ireland not the uk so I do t need to worry about visa?

Unfortunately not as I have to finish in university

This is something your boyfriend may be able to look into for you.

How long have you lived out of Ireland? Where are you living now?

Yes this. Your boyfriend is in Austria. He is much better placed to find out about the Austrian benefits system than most MN users

We are not, if we are would we be able to claim benefits? It’s quite difficult though because my partner is Hungarian and neither of us are Austrian citizens, and not residing in our home countries. He has to finish uni in Austria too.

Why can't you stay with your parents when the baby arrives? babies really don;t take up much "space"

And I mean to claim benefits in Austria not Ireland, as Austria would be my main residence

No. You cannot claim benefits here and live elsewhere, regardless of marital status.

He is a university student, is there a benefit available for a student with a family? And there is no other option, due to my current family situation.

I have just asked in ChatGPT whether an Irish citizen can claim benefits in Austria there are some rules around it so it might be worth doing the same and having a proper read

Are you sure you’re even going to be allowed to live in Austria if you’ve no plans to work?

https://www.oesterreich.gv.at/en/themen/menschen_aus_anderen_staaten/aufenthalt/4/Seite.120210.html#:~:text=EU%20citizens%20do%20not%20need,employed%20workers%20in%20Austria%3B%20or

There is another option.

Stay where you are and look at what you may be entitled to claim here.

You will not be entitled to anything in Austria, neither of you are residents. At least here you may be entitled to benefits to help keep you afloat.

https://www.oesterreich.gv.at/en/themen/arbeit_beruf_und_pension/jobsuche/Seite.171440.html

Youre not eligible.