Study and baby - what are your options?
You have the right to a full-time education until you are 19 and if you’re pregnant your school has a duty to educate you up to 34 weeks of your pregnancy unless there are concerns about health and safety.
An Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be drawn up for you to work out when you will be in school and what your plans are for your future.
Sometimes a home tutor can be arranged if you are unable to study in school. Arranging study around having a baby can be tricky but the Teenage Pregnancy Reintegration Officer in Brighton & Hove is employed especially to help you. Call or text 07930 147947 to get the right amount of support.
This could include:
- Coming to see you at home
- Talking to your school for you and helping you continue studying
- Helping you to apply for benefits
- Helping you to arrange childcare. I’m thinking about starting a course – what are the benefits?
It can help you feel good about yourself. Doing training and getting qualifications will help build your self confidence, as a person and as a mum!
Your child will benefit. When mum feels good about herself, the family is better off too and it’ll make it easier to provide for them in the future
It will give you more options and opportunities for your future
You will meet new people and you may improve your social life!
If you want to work, you will have a better chance of getting the job you want, and the pay you need.
How will I afford it?
Studying can be expensive and you might need to pay for travel, books, equipment, childcare and living expenses but as a young parent you might be entitled to help with paying for fees and living costs – ask your college or school what you are entitled to.
Full-time students don’t have to pay Council Tax, and may be able to get Income Support and Housing Benefit. If you have a low income you might also be able to get an Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). EMA is a weekly payment of up to £30, for students aged over 16; to find out if you can get an EMA visit: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/financialhelp/ema/ or ask at your local college/school.
How will I pay for childcare while I’m studying?
Care to Learn helps with the costs of childcare while mums or dads are studying. Anyone under the age of 20 can apply for childcare and any necessary travel costs up to £155 per child per week. This money will not affect any of you or your family’s benefits or allowances and you don’t have to be on any benefits or allowances in order to have your childcare paid for. For help or more information call the helpline number: 0845 600 2809 or visit: www.dfes.gov.uk/caretolearn
The Teenage Pregnancy Reintegration Officer (07930 147947) and The Connexions Teenage Pregnancy PAs (01273 725340) will help you access education, training and employment. They can also help you get Care to Learn funding. Some colleges have a crèche or nursery and most colleges have a Student Welfare or Finance Adviser who can guide you through what’s available and how to get it. For other places to go for support and advice on studying and getting onto a course check out the services section.
Childcare - what are your options?
When you are planning childcare, you need to work out what would suit you and your child best.
There are lots of possible options: friends and family, a registered childminder,
pre-school playgroup, early education or nursery classes, kids clubs, work or college crèche.
Visit http://www.childcarelink.gov.uk/ to find out about local options for you. All four-year-olds and some three-year-olds are entitled to a free, part-time childcare place.
For information and advice about childcare, free early education, children's activities, funding for childcare and family support, contact the Children's Information Service on (01273) 293545 or visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/cis
Housing issues - help is available
There is a YAC housing team based in Brighton who specialise in housing advice for young people. They run regular drop-ins in the centre of Brighton, and weekly sessions in Hove and Moulsecoomb. Contact them on (01273) 828828. They could help you if you are in housing need, and help you liaise with landlords and the council.
Living at Home
If you are under 16, you may not have much choice about where to live – you will be expected to live with your family. A lot of young mums stay with their own family or with the family of their child’s father.
Help from your council or housing department
It may be possible for you to rent a house or flat from your local council or housing association.
To apply for council housing you need to submit an application for the Brighton & Hove Joint Housing Register. To be eligible you must be in housing need and over 18. You can apply from anywhere in the country to be on the register, but people with a local connection to the city are given priority. There is a shortage of housing in Brighton & Hove and so unfortunately, it is not possible to re-house everyone who applies. Those in the most urgent housing need will get the highest priority.
How do I apply?
To apply for the Brighton & Hove Joint Housing Register, you need to fill in an application form:
- download the housing application form from the council website:
www.brighton-hove.gov.uk - call the Homemove Team on (01273) 293121
- e-mail the Homemove Team: allocations@brighton-hove.gov.uk
- visit the citydirect Centre in Bartholomew Square, Brighton, or any of the council's housing offices
Return the application form to the: Homemove Officers, Homemove Team,
4th Floor, Bartholomew House, Bartholomew House, Brighton, BN1 1JP
– make sure you print out the entire form and fix it together. Once your completed form is received, it will be assessed and you will be given a priority band according to your housing need.
Homelessness
Currently rough sleepers in the city who cannot prove their local connection are not being offered housing, but are being offered help to move elsewhere.
If you are homeless (you don’t have to be on the streets to be counted as homeless) contact Brighton & Hove City Council’s Housing services on (01273) 293111 – see housing section pages 45-48 for more places to go for support
For advice on how to register as homeless, contact Shelter on 0808 800 4444 or visit www.shelter.org.uk
Supported Accommodation
Until you are 25, you may be given supported housing rather than your own place. This might be a hostel where you have your own bed-sit or a self-contained flat. Supported accommodation units have staff on site to help. Units usually offer a home during your pregnancy up until your child is about one year old, In Touch can offer a further two years of floating support after move on, no upper age limit. In Touch also have seven units of temporary accommodation for vulnerable families. See housing services section pages 45-48 for local organisations offering supported accommodation.
Private Sector
You could find somewhere to stay by renting from a landlord or letting agency. This can be expensive. The Lettings section in the property pages of the local paper is a good place to start. Brighton & Hove City Council Housing Advice Service can help if you are being threatened with homelessness, suffering harassment by your landlord or having problems with your tenancy. They can also direct you to other sources of advice, e.g. help with home repairs.
Benefits & Budgeting
Being a young parent will mean having to make your cash go a lot further. You may be able to get financial help when you are pregnant, and after the baby is born you may be entitled to money to support all of you.
If you haven’t got one you might want to open a bank account. There are lots of different benefits available such as:
- Child Benefit
- Free prescriptions, free milk, free dental treatment
- Child tax credit
- Job seekers allowance
- Income support
- Working tax credit
- Housing benefit
- Council tax benefit
- Maternity allowance
- Social fund
- Sure Start maternity grant
- DLA (disability living allowance)
- Carers allowance
If your baby was born after 1 September 2002 they can get a Child Trust Fund Account, providing they live in the UK and don’t have any immigration restrictions. You will be sent a £250 voucher from the government a month after you start to receive Child Benefit.
You then use the voucher to open a CTF account for your baby. The money in the account is tax-free and belongs to your child and cannot be taken out until they reach 18. You need to be aged over 16 to open the account – if you are under 16 call the Child Trust Fund helpline on 0845 402 1470, and an account will be opened on your behalf. For more info about the Child Trust Fund, visit http://www.childtrustfund.gov.uk/ or call 0845 302 1470.
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