Teenage parents and benefits

Living apart from your baby's father and claiming Benefits

If you claim income based JobSeekers Allowance (JSA) or Income Support (IS) and you don't live with the father of your baby your JSA or IS application will include an application to the Child Support Agency (CSA) for a maintenance calculation. Your benefit may be reduced if you refuse to give details of your baby's father.

The only way you can refuse to apply to the CSA without having your benefit reduced is if you can prove that doing so would put you and/or your child at fear of harm/undue distress. There is more information about what this means on the Single Parent and not Working Factsheet, but if you are not sure then seek advice.

If you are claiming income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or Income Support, then once you are 29 weeks pregnant, you can also claim the Sure Start Maternity Grant (£500 to help with the costs of a new baby).

Living with your partner

You count as living with your partner for benefit purposes if you live with him as if you were married to him. You also count as living with your partner even if you are both staying with your parents, other relatives or friends.

Can I claim any benefits if I am living with my boyfriend?

During pregnancy: If both you and your partner qualify for JSA or IS, you will be able to get IS or JSA as a couple. This will be £70.70 per week if you are both under 18. If your boyfriend is 18 or over the claim should be made in his name and you will be entitled to £92.80 per week. When you are 29 weeks pregnant you can claim the Sure Start Maternity Grant.

If you are not entitled to IS or JSA, for instance, because you left home voluntarily and would be able to return to live with your parents, but your boyfriend is entitled to JSA or IS, he will only be paid the single person's rate of benefit even though you are a couple.

If your boyfriend is 25 or over he will get £59.15 per week. If he is between 18 and 24 he will get £46.85 per week. If he is under 18 he will get £46.85 if he has good cause for not living with his parents and £35.65 otherwise. If your boyfriend is working full time and is under 25, you won't be able to claim any benefits until the baby is born, although you may get Housing Benefit to help with the rent (and Council Tax Benefit if your boyfriend is liable to pay the council tax). If he is 25 or over and on a low income he may be able to claim Working Tax Credit as well.

After the birth: You will be entitled to Child Benefit and Child tax Credit (CTC). If neither you nor your boyfriend are working full time you should be entitled to JSA, CTC and Child Benefit of roughly £145 if you are both under 18, or if your partner is 18 or over, £167. Only one of you must be available for work and actively seeking work.

If you or your partner are working, you may be able to get WTC if you are on a low income. Most people can still get CTC when they are working too. If you are both working for more than 16 hours a week you can get help towards the cost of registered or approved childcare included in your Working Tax Credit (this is called the childcare element of Working Tax Credit).

If you have not yet claimed the Sure Start Maternity Grant you may be able to claim it now. If you are not on income-based JSA or IS, then you need to have Child Tax Credit of more than the family element (more than £21 a week). Make sure you claim the grant within three months of the baby's birth even if you have not got your tax credit award yet.

If you are turned down because you are not getting Child Tax Credit, you may need to claim again later when you get your tax credit award, but this will only work if you have made your first claim within the time limit.