Baby on way- entitlements?

Twinkleboots

Hi there,

Both my bf and I are in college and are half way through our degrees. We are due our first baby in August. I am planning on taking a year out of college. My bf has a part time job in a pub and we are renting a house for 450 a month. Are we entitled to anything?

mrsbyrne

yes you will be entitled to child benefit, when your baby is born.
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/social_welfare_payments_to_families_and_children/child_benefit.html

SarahC11

im not sure about what you will get coming straight from college but me and my bf are a cohabiting couple, he is in full time college and we get 330 a week, and 647 rent allowance a month, i think we will get an extra 30 a week when the baby is born. going as a cohabiting couple benefited us because he was in college and couldnt claim anything,might be worth looking into.
Also you should go see your community welfare officer i got a maternity grand, you get money for clothes at 5months and then you will get money to help with buying the cot and buggy when the baby is born

Lugh Ildanach

Twinkleboots wrote: »

Hi there,

Both my bf and I are in college and are half way through our degrees. We are due our first baby in August. I am planning on taking a year out of college. My bf has a part time job in a pub and we are renting a house for 450 a month. Are we entitled to anything?

There are a number of supports out there for families and jobseekers (provided of course that you are genuinely looking for and available for full-time work)

If your boyfriend is working more than 19 hours a week, he can apply for Family Income Supplement (once the baby is born). If he is not working this many hours, then if you were to work a few hours yourself, they can add together the hours that you and your boyfriend work to get to the 19 required for payment. Check here for further details http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/BirthChildrenAndFamilies/ChildRelatedPayments/Pages/fis.aspx

If you have been working, even part-time, then you may be eligible for Maternity Benefit depending on your PRSI stamps. If this is the case check out here http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/BirthChildrenAndFamilies/MaternityBenefit/Pages/mb.aspx

You cannot apply for rent supplement if you are a full-time student (unless on the BTEA scheme), but you willl be able to do so if not at college. You will have to show that you have been in rented accommodation for 6 months and that you could have afforded the rent at the commencement of the tenancy, otherwise you will need to be assessed by your local authority as in need of housing before it is payable. Any income that your boyfriend earns may reduce the amount of rent supplement payable.

You may find that you are eligible for a medical card or a GP visit card. http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/entitlement_to_health_services/medical_card.html

If you have any exceptional or urgent needs that arise you can also apply to the Community Welfare Officer for a payment. See here for details http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/supplementary_welfare_schemes/exceptional_needs_payments.html

If you are looking for and available for full-time work then you will also be eligible for Jobseekers Allowance (although any income your boyfriend makes from part-time employment will affect the amount that you receive) You would however have to show that between the child and your intention to go back to college that you were really looking for full-time work and would accept any reasonable offer of work. You will not of course be able to receive Jobseekers while a full-time student. If your boyfriend is getting FIS, then you cannot have him as a qualified adult on any Jobseekers claim. If this applies, you're probably better speaking to someone in person to see payment would be better for you, someone like the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed www.inou.ie can go through the figures with you, they offer a confidential information line on 01 8560088

If you do go on to Jobseekers Allowance, it may be that you could qualify for Back to Education Allowance to facilitate your return to education after your period of Jobseeking, although this is not straight forward.

And as mrsbyrne points out, yes you will also be eligible for child benefit too.

Lugh Ildanach

SarahC11 wrote: »

Also you should go see your community welfare officer i got a maternity grand, you get money for clothes at 5months and then you will get money to help with buying the cot and buggy when the baby is born

These payments are entirely discretionary and depend on your own circumstances and on the attitude of individual CWOs, so these payments may not be available. You should of course apply for them, they are covered by the urgent or exceptional needs payments mentioned above.