Teenage parents and benefits

Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit (HB/CTB)

HB and CTB are paid by your local authority to help with the cost of your rent and council tax. You are not liable to pay council tax until you are 18. The amount of your rent which HB can help with if you have a private landlord will be limited to rent for a room in shared accommodation before you have your baby, unless you are severely disabled or you live with someone else (eg a partner or another person who shares your household).

Even after the baby is born, there may be limits on the maximum amount of rent which HB will cover. If you receive either IS or income-based JSA, you will be entitled to receive maximum HB/CTB (but remember that this may not cover the whole of your rent).

If you do not receive either IS or JSA but you have a low income you may be able to receive HB/CTB anyway. HB/CTB is means-tested so whether you get it depends on the amount of money you have coming in and the amount of savings you have.

You should claim HB/CTB directly from your local authority.

Working Tax Credit (WTC)

You may qualify for WTC, if you are 16 or over, if you or your partner (if you have one) are working 16 hours or more a week, have a low income and have at least one dependant child.

WTC is means-tested. The amount you get will depend on how much you earn, how many hours you work, how many children you have, and whether or not you are paying for registered childcare. You will be able to get extra WTC (called the childcare element) to help with the costs of childcare if you pay for registered childcare and you are a single parent working at least 16 hours a week, or you are in a couple and you both work at least 16 hours a week, or one of you works at least 16 hours a week and the other is disabled.

You should claim WTC from the tax credits helpline 0845 300 3900.

Social Fund payments

Everyone on income-based JSA, IS or CTC of more than the family element (more than £10.50 a week or more than £21 a week if you have a baby under one) can claim a Sure Start Maternity Grant of £500.

You can also get it if you get Working Tax Credit with a disability element. You should claim it from the Jobcentre any time from 11 weeks before your baby is due until three months after it is born. If your parents are on a qualifying benefit, they can claim the Sure Start Maternity Grant for you if they claim benefit for you.

There are also Social Fund loans and grants for those on income-based JSA or IS which can help you buy things which are difficult to budget for whilst you are on benefits, or things which will help you survive independently or reduce pressure on your family.