Can`t get surestart maternity grant
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- Can`t get surestart maternity grant
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25/9/08 19:15
Being as nice as I can put it, she has to be able to take these knocks about money and people laying it down bare. Its hard. In a few months decorating will be the least of her worries, and 2nd hand still will be gratefully received. There is no point thinking everyone else has got more than you and its not fair - they probably worked hard for it and she can have it too if she decides what to do with her life. Being 16 and pregnant doesn't make you a victim.
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25/9/08 19:12
she can change things tho-she can earn some money herself. I am not speaking to her as a 16yr old though, i am talking as i would to anyone, any parent(to be). Being a parent in no break sadly, its very very tough.
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25/9/08 19:05
No-one can do anything now can they ? She's young, skint, pregnant and worried. she dosnt need a bunch of people patronising her on a message board about something she cant change now.
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25/9/08 19:00
but what can anyone do? we cant give her £500 that she wants
If she just wants some candles and fluffy stuff and no one is expected to give actual, real advice then whats the point?
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25/9/08 18:50
Jeez give the girl a break, she's 16 !
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25/9/08 18:23
If your OH is working - why is he not buying all this stuff you 'need'?
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25/9/08 18:07
Erm, what is wrong with the father of the child getting of his arsé and getting a job to help provide for all these things that you neeeedddd. Which, btw, you really dont, you just think that you need all this stuff.
What a baby does need is a roof over its head - which is provided for by your parents. Warmth, again you have this. Clothes, which you said you have. Somewhere to sleep, again you have, and some form of transport which can be a baby carrier, you wont need a travel system as you are too young to drive. Finally nappies. From what you have posted you have all these things.
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25/9/08 17:57
Ok, it would be pointless to tell you that you are silly to get yourself into this situation, as its too late.
Its pointless telling you that having a child is blóody hard work, and at 16 you shouldnt be having one, as its too late.
I can however say that you are being very silly for labelling the system as 'selfish'. You should expect tax payers to pay for your baby. You are living with parents, so are pretty safe. You are not going to starve and they will help you get cheap bits for your baby. You can also go get a weekend job for the time being.
At 16 you are still a child, that is why you are not entitled to get things like the sure start grant- you are still your parents responsibility.
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25/9/08 17:57
Ok, it would be pointless to tell you that you are silly to get yourself into this situation, as its too late.
Its pointless telling you that having a child is blóody hard work, and at 16 you shouldnt be having one, as its too late.
I can however say that you are being very silly for labelling the system as 'selfish'. You should expect tax payers to pay for your baby. You are living with parents, so are pretty safe. You are not going to starve and they will help you get cheap bits for your baby. You can also go get a weekend job for the time being.
At 16 you are still a child, that is why you are not entitled to get things like the sure start grant- you are still your parents responsibility.
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25/9/08 17:13
The way you have to see this is - what did you do for money BEFORE you were pregnant? How did you manage at school, did you get pocket money, or have a job? I know that it must be a worry not having any money now, but you will just have to put to the back of your mind all the things you want but you can't have, and be grateful for those who have helped you out.
Until the baby arrives I am afraid that you do not have the luxury of being able to go out and buy a lot of things - IMO you have sort of most of what you need already, the cot someone very nicely bought for you, and you can pick up very very cheap bedding but that is nice in Ikea, Matalan, Asda, Primark, Tescos.
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25/9/08 17:08
U could get a job to fund this baby instead of expecting the government to pay for it. Its not because they are too selfish its because you dont qualify. Now instead of sitting there moaning do something to earn money for your baby and pay for it youself.
We all get pregnant, it is a parents responsibility to PROVIDE not everyone elses.
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25/9/08 17:00
''Sure start are too selfish to give me money' !!!!!
I am sorry but what a comment!!!!
The harsh reality for most of us is that we have to earn money and save up for things we want and need. We are lucky if 2nd hand things pop up that fulfill needs and even luckier if friends and relatives give things. This attitude of certian people in society really does not sit right with me.
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25/9/08 16:59
to the poster below me, I really dont understand that you would be £200 better off a month are you sure of that? If you both work FT then you must be on very low minimum wage jobs, and high outgoings as the CTC and WFTC are a 'top up' to put you in line with a minimum yearly wage - around £13,000 a year. On that you might qualify for some council tax help, but a small amount and possibly a small amount of housing benefit but apart from that you have to pay everything else yourself. I do not qualify for anything at the moment apart from CTC and believe me I am absolutely not financially better off whatsoever than when I had a full time working partner and home of my own, but If I did not work I would be even shorter financially a month, I could not survive at all on income support imo, although I believe it is there for those who have no other choice at that time, it really isn't the only choice I believe in a lot of cases.
Also frankly how can it be selfish for the SSMG to decline you? You haven't ever entered the world of work yet and are still classed in education, are not disabled and haven't actually given birth yet. Those are the rules they can't make exceptions because it seems mean.
I dont mean this to be patronising, but when you actually have to live by yourself raising children and pay all the essential bills and rent then I would imagine that people use most of the £500 for day to day living as much as baby items, but you do not have to pay rent or council tax, or electricity or anything. Your parents can still claim child benefit for you, so they are sort of being 'provided' for on behalf of you. Ie when you actually work, and are paid SMP through your employer, you dont use all that money to buy baby things - you live off of it and use it to pay your bills and cover your loss in wages, food etc. Those who do not get the grant do not get a large lump sum to spend, so they have to do the same as everyone else and save over a period of time. If you DID get the grant then spending it all in one go or on things you dont even need would be a very very bad idea, so I think some of the negative comments you are reading are in fact quite practical - to be honest spending any money decorating is a bad idea, its something you can't benefit from in any which way!
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25/9/08 16:45
I work full time and so does my OH, the stupid truth of the matter is i would be £200 a month better off if i was a single parent! how does that work? Im 22 and have worked since i left college, iv never taken any handouts form the government and was purely enquiring about the SSMG, as i had heard it was available to people receiving child tax credits, which apparently i would do when i have had the baby and am on maternity leave.
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25/9/08 16:18
Paulax1986 agreed....OP you dont need to decorate your room, the baby is not going to notice if you have winnie the pooh or actual poo on the wall tbh, you just need to move things around to fit things in.
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25/9/08 16:16
I wasn't entitled to ssmg, so I worked and saved up all my money.....
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25/9/08 16:12
Cak why u need to decorate your bedroom for??
Surely the grant would/should go on buying things for the baby (when and if you get it) instead of doing up your room.
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25/9/08 16:12
Whats wrong with maybe working in a little newsagents, or anything, just at weekends for a while, just to get a bit of cash behind you?? It may not be millions (or even £500), and yeh, you will have to work, but its better than nothing.
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25/9/08 16:08
I wish I could get 500 for nothing thats for sure!
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25/9/08 16:07
This is why people should wait until they are financially stable and mature enough to have a baby, i know accidents happen but if the government stopped these grants etc then there would probably be less "accidents" imo.
this is the most annoying thing that has ever happened.
i am so f*cked off now. i can't claim any of the benefits i need to claim ssmg, cause i'm only just 16, not working, and in education.
the thing is though, i could really do with that £500 atm.
i'm permanently skint and relying on other people to get stuff for my baby, which isn't good.
my mum's mate got us a pram 2nd hand, my boyfriend's mum has bought the cot and his cousin's wife has given us a load of stuff from when she had her baby.
i know i should be grateful for their help, and i am, but i am fed up of feeling like a charity case.
i need this grant, because i have no money, and my dad isn't exactly well off either, and i need to buy all sorts of stuff.
i need a breast pump (well, not need, but would like), i need bedding and stuff for baby, i need to decorate my room so it's suitable for me +baby, i need all sorts of stuff that i just can't afford at the moment, but surestart are too selfish to give me any money