benefits cancelled, pregnant and overcome with stress :(

[ParsleyCake]

My benefits have recently stopped because my student loans are apparently too high an income, and every week I seem to be receiving final demands for benefit overpayments in the post and I'm at my wits end.

I don't know why all of a sudden they seem to think I have so much money, because it's not true. I spent about two months at the end of the summer running back and forth from the benefits office with various evidence of earnings etc and received one months benefits, only to have it claimed back, as well as what seems for some arbitrary periods in the past five years.

I'm trying to deal with morning sickness, my job, exams and dissertation and somehow have to scrape together all this evidence AGAIN which is no easy task as I have had several jobs, usually with at least two at the same time as well as uni, and I've moved house about six times....I just don't have the time to deal with ths nonsense. I can't afford a bus so I have to walk half an hour to get to the council offices (not easy with constant nausea and fatigue), and I even have to skip university classes to do this.

We finally have a nice house with non abusive neighbours and a spare room for the baby, but with benefit services messing us around we have to once again go another winter without heating or hot water (except for electric shower).

I'm sorry about this rant, and I know life is just not fair, but I can feel myself sinking into depression because I can't deal with this. It's true that I can afford my bills with my student loan - but only just, and that leaves nothing to buy what I need for the baby, never mind heating bills (out of the question) or decent food which is supposed to be important for pregnancy. Everything I buy is asda smartprice brand and prices are still going up. I love my other half very much but he is hopeless with paperwork so I have to deal with this stuff. While he just tries to earn as much money as he can to help out.

Am I eligible for any benefits because I am pregnant? And how far along do you need to be to claim them?

Most importantly, is anyone else dealing with this? Sometimes the best therapy is to know you are not alone.

PP is right - as a student you are seen as 'choosing' not to work when you are able to because of studying.

I do not know of any benefits due to pregnqncy apart from the sure start grant of a one off payment of £500 to people with a certain income but not sure of students qualify for that. Your midwife is a good person to ask - also about healthy start vitamins etc.

I would speak to your university's welfare department. You can't be on benefits while a student I don't think.

Are you certain you can afford this baby? You need to make a plan now to enable you to heat the house and buy vital supplies like nappies.

Why is your other half not supporting you? Hopeless with paperwork? He is an adult about to be a father so needs to man up. His earning is not 'helping out', it's his fucking responsibility to provide for his kid, not the state's.

No you aren't entitled to extra benefits due to pregnancy ? ( except healthy start vouchers but as a student I doubt you would qualify but you could check)
Student loans/ grants are more than you would receive in benefits so you wouldn't be entitled to both unless you have children.

You will be entitled to a sure start grant once baby is born (£500) and you receive tax credits. You have to claim before your baby is 12 weeks old.

No you are entitled to anything as a student. Not even post grad as I found out when things went tits up.
Does your DP work full time ? Live with you ?

As other have said, studying is a choice, you won't be entitled to benefits. A girl on my course when I was at uni ended up pregnant and had to leave. When are you due? Our uni wouldn't allow her extensions, exams on different dates etc so you need to factor all this in. Maybe you need to give up your studies to be able to support your family and go back to it when child is older.

Confused about your dp, does he not work full time? If he doesn't , I'm sorry but it's incredibly unfair to expect others to pay your way.

If you have money coming in why did you think you were entitled to anything? Is your partner working?

If you have enough to pay your bills can't your partner fork out for the rest?

What you did, IfNot, was fraud. The OP is not a lone parent, either, so not eligible for IS.

Your partner needs to buck up.

I think that's awful. You basically claimed government money fraudulently that us supposed to be for people in need, to keep you and help you study rather than getting a student loan you'd have to pay back like everyone else.

It's insulting to everyone who worked hard and struggled to put themselves through uni and people who really need IS !

Ok FT students without children do not get benefits.

You say it's hard to gather the paperwork for the benefits office. This shouldn't be hard because the time you started being a student is the time you shouldn't be claiming benefits.

If you have your loans etc plus have worked some jobs plus your partners income you are only doing what thousands of other students up and down the country are doing.

Previous poster above ... Your concepts are so childish. I think you have designed them to protect yourself from reality. Not all bankers are ripping the country ... Those are people working contributing to the economy and government money that enables others to use benefits whenever needed. Benefits should be given to people who need them based on rules the government has made not because someone silly and stupid has a notion that 'I' must get them. Stop slagging bankers or anyone else ... Read a bit more, get smart

Why are you pregnant if you can't afford to support yourself, let alone children.

I havnt been through this OP but when i was a student I for various reasons in financial trouble and PPs are right, your not entitled to benefits as a student, but my university had hardship grants that absolutly anyone cud apply for, they asked what money I recieved and had outgoing etc and asked what my problem was and I got a one off grant from the university as a result, so you shud speak to student services and ask if they have hardship grants, theyl also have people who can help you with any paperwork. Part of my problem war that my degree work was suffering because I was having to take on extra shifts at work due to financial difficulty, so I assume part of their reasoning (if not all) was that giving me funding would help me concentrate on my studies as it meant I could go back to part time and attend all my classes, so I can't see why they wouldn't help you if they have funding for it

Think that question could apply to ifnot too.

Some of us struggled financially to get through uni - it nearly cost me the degree actually. Maybe I should have just commuted benefit fraud by claiming job seekers and hb instead of my bank loan ? Waaaay easier.

Commited. And that was to carol*s post.

Caroldecker - good question and I would really like to see the answer

I was pregnant in my third year of uni, and sadly there's limited help. If you've been working part time you might be able to apply for maternity allowance which is worked out by your average income, and I think you can apply for this once you are 26 weeks along, although that's not much help right now.

As soon as I found out about my pregnancy I went to see student support at uni. They were actually pretty good! They helped me sort of extenuating circumstances forms and pointed me in the right direction of different services. It's definitely worth seeing them if you want to continue studying.