Benefits that are available for pregnant teenagers and mothers under 18 depend on different things such as how old you are and whether you live with your parents or not. This factsheet gives an outline of the situation. For full details of each benefit see the end of the factsheet. If you are not sure what you are entitled to you should always make a benefit claim just in case. You can also get further advice - see 'Where to go for help'

You have the right to receive education until you are 19 if you want it. If you request it, your Local Education Authority must provide it for you, either at your usual school or somewhere else.

• I am still at school and I live with my parents. Can I get any benefits?
• I have left school, am unemployed and live with my parents. What can I claim?
• I want to stay at school full time and I live apart form my parents. What can I claim?
• I live apart from my parents and I want to study at school part time can I claim any benefits?
• I am unemployed and live apart from my parents. What can I claim?
• I am too unwell to look for work and I live apart from my parents. What can I claim?
• I have a training place/job. What can I claim?

I am still at school and I live with my parents. Can I get any benefits?

During pregnancy: If your parents are unemployed or claiming benefits they should be getting Child Benefit, as well as IS or income-based JSA for you. They can keep claiming this extra money for you until your baby is born. They should tell the Benefits Agency that you are pregnant because they will be entitled to receive milk tokens for you.You can claim IS in your own right once you are 29 weeks pregnant (11 weeks before your baby is due) if you leave school. You will then be able to receive IS of £32.50 per week as well as a Sure Start Maternity Grant of £500, but you will not be able to claim benefits at the same time as studying until after your child is born. If your parents are working, you can claim IS once you are 29 weeks pregnant (11 weeks before your baby is due) if you leave school. You will then be able to receive Income Support of £32.50 per week as well as a Sure Start Maternity Grant of £500. You will not be able to claim benefits at the same time as studying until after your child is born.
After the birth: As a single parent you can study full time and claim Income Support after the birth. You are entitled to Child Benefit and Income Support totalling £80.75 per week whether you are still at school or not. Your benefit may be reduced if you do not give the Child Support Agency information about the father of your child.

I have left school, am unemployed and live with my parents. What can I claim?

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.

I want to stay at school full time and I live apart form my parents. What can I claim?

During pregnancy: You will be entitled to Income Support if you are at school or college for more than 12 hours a week and you can show 'good cause' for not being able to live with your parents.

You should be paid at the higher rate of £42.70.
After the birth: You will be entitled to Child Benefit and Income Support as a single parent totaling £80.75 per week, or £90.95 if you can show 'good cause' for not living with your parents.
Your benefit may be reduced if you do not give the Child Support Agency information about the father of your child.
You will also be entitled to Housing Benefit to pay for your rent and the Sure Start Maternity Grant of £500.You can go back to school after the birth if you want to, and you should get help with the cost of your childcare.

I live apart from my parents and I want to study at school part time can I claim any benefits?

During pregnancy: If you have 'good cause' for not being able to live with your parents you will be able to claim JSA of £42.70 per week using the severe hardship rule as long as your availability for work is not affected by your part time study. You can also claim Housing Benefit.

If you are 29 weeks pregnant or more or you are too ill to look for work during your pregnancy, you will be entitled to claim IS and study part time. You will need to show 'good cause' why you are not living with your parents in order to receive the higher rate of IS.
After the birth: If you are a single parent you can claim IS and continue to study part time.

I am unemployed and live apart from my parents. What can I claim?

During pregnancy: If you are not still at school full time and you can show 'good cause' for not being able to live with your parents, you can claim Job Seeker's Allowance as long as you register for work or work based training at your local Careers Office or JobCentre and it is during your Child Benefit Extension Period.

If you need to claim JSA and it is not during your Child Benefit Extension Period, you should claim JSA on the grounds of severe hardship.It is against the law to treat you differently to others because you are pregnant, so 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. If you are off sick you may be able to claim IS.You should also claim Housing Benefit.

When you are 29 weeks pregnant you can claim Income Support if you wish. You should ensure that you include reasons why you cannot live with your parents on the Income Support claim form so that you are paid at the higher rate of £42.70 per week.
After the birth: You will be entitled to Child Benefit and Income Support as a single parent totaling £80.75 per week or £90.95 if you can show 'good cause' for not living with your parents. Your benefit may be reduced if you do not give the Child Support Agency information about the father of your child.You will also be entitled to Housing Benefit to pay for your rent and the Sure Start Maternity Grant of £500.

I am too unwell to look for work and I live apart from my parents. What can I claim?

During pregnancy: You will be able to claim Income Support on the basis of ill health if you are too unwell to look for work. You should tell the Benefits Agency that you are pregnant because you will then be entitled to milk tokens.
In your Income Support claim form you should include reasons why you are unwell and why you are unable to live with your parents to ensure you get paid at the higher rate of £42.70.
After the birth: You will be entitled to Child Benefit and Income Support as a single parent totaling £80.75 per week, or £90.95 if you can show 'good cause' for not living with your parents. Your benefit may be reduced if you do not give the Child Support Agency information about the father of your child.You will also be entitled to Housing Benefit to pay for your rent and the Sure Start Maternity Grant of £500.

I have a training place/job. What can I claim?

During pregnancy: Once you are on a training scheme or have a job you will receive either a wage or a weekly training allowance. If you have a job or you are an employed trainee then you may be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) or Maternity Allowance (MA). For more information about your employment rights, please send an SAE to the Maternity Alliance and ask for our leaflet Pregnant at Work 2001/2. If you are a non-employed trainee you will still have some employment rights but you should get advice about your situation. See 'Where to go for help' at the end of this factsheet.
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 your training allowance is less than £42.00 and you have no other income, and you have 'good cause' for living away from home, you should make a claim for Income Support.

If you leave your job or training scheme for any reason you should be entitled to receive a Bridging Allowance of £15 a week, or £3 a day until you get another job or a training place. You are entitled to receive a Bridging Allowance payment for up to a maximum of 8 weeks a year. If you live with your parents but they cannot or will not support you and you are unable to support yourself on just the Bridging Allowance, or if your Bridging Allowance runs out, you should claim JSA using the severe hardship route.

If you are off sick you may be able to claim either Incapacity Benefit or IS (you should make a claim for both of these benefits at the same time).

When you are 29 weeks pregnant you will be able to leave your job or training place if you wish and either go on maternity leave and/or receive Income Support of £32.50 per week, as well as a Sure Start Maternity Grant of £500. If you can show 'good cause' for not being able to live with your parents you will receive IS of £42.70 per week.
After the birth: You are entitled to claim Child Benefit as well as Income Support in your own right. As a single parent you will be entitled to Child Benefit and Income Support totalling £80.75 per week or £90.95 if you can show 'good cause' for not living with

your parents. 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. If you were employed you have the right to return to the same job after maternity leave.

Where to go for more help
This factsheet gives an outline of the different benefits you may be able to claim, but they are rather complicated. If you want more information you can go to one of the organisations listed below for help.

• Citizens Advice Bureau - will be able to help with advice about benefits. Look in your phone book for the address of your local office.
• Maternity Alliance - you can order other leaflets on maternity rights and benefits, such as Pregnant at Work, Money for Mothers and Babies, and Single Parent. If you want more specific information you can write to them with details of your circumstances and they will write back. Or, call their 24 hour Information Line on 020 7588 8582.
• Shelter - for help with housing problems telephone the free 24 hour housing advice line on 0808 800 4444. For a free copy of Shelter's 'Wise Up' Housing Guide for people aged 16-25, telephone 020 7505 4699 for advice on finding somewhere to live, paying rent and getting benefits.
• Social Services - if you are under 16 and not living with your parents they are responsible for you. Look in your phone book for their address.
• The Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion, PO Box 30069, 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7WR. Telephone: 020 7582 7221.