Benefits for teenagers who are 16 or 17

During pregnancy: If you are registered as available for work or work-based Training for Young People at your local Careers Office or JobCentre your parents may be able to continue to receive Child Benefit for a limited period, until you are 29 weeks pregnant and you can claim benefit in your own right, or until you are found a job or training place.

If your parents are claiming benefits they should be getting IS or JSA for you for as long as they continue to receive Child Benefit for you. They should tell the Benefits Agency that you are pregnant because they will be entitled to receive milk tokens for you. If your parents cannot continue to receive money for you or are refusing to support you financially, you should apply for JSA in your own right using the 'Severe Hardship' route. Your Careers Service must make the same effort to place you on a training scheme or in a job as they would if you were not pregnant. It is against the law to treat you differently to others because you are pregnant. Once you have been found a place on a training scheme or in a job, the organisation you are working for cannot treat you differently because of your pregnancy. If you are off sick you may be able to claim IS.

You can claim IS in your own right once you are 29 weeks pregnant (11 weeks before your baby is due). You will then be able to receive IS of £32.50 per week as well as a Sure Start Maternity Grant of £500.
After the birth: You are entitled to Child Benefit for your baby as well as Income Support in your own right. As a single parent you are entitled to Child Benefit and Income Support totalling £80.75 per week. Your benefit may be reduced if you do not give the Child Support Agency information about the father of your child.You can rejoin a training scheme if you want to. They will pay your childcare costs if you could not continue your training otherwise. You don't have to register for work or work based training but you can if you want to.