Financial Help

Jennii.

Hey Ladies (fellas too?)

I was wondering if any of yous might be able to help me, by giving me advice or a nudge in the right direction.

I'm a first year college student. I'm 20 in a couple weeks and currently 3 1/2 months pregnant. I wish to continue my course and want to know what kind of help is available and where I'd be able to find it, online to read up on it, and where to apply?

Thanks!!

Nicky30

www.citizensinformation.ie

wmpdd3

1st of all, are you planning to have baby during the summer and get back to college in Sept? If so, the Student assistance fund may be able to help you. You apply in Sept and its paid in a lump some in Oct. Its just a helping hand as opposed to a weekly payment. You can apply again in Jan. Its usually handled by the college directly, try the student union for info.

2nd, are you living at home, single etc. This will decide how much help you get from the social welfare. If yo are in a relationship, there is no payment apart from Child benefit when the baby arrives. Unless your partner is claiming JSA etc, if you live with him, you may get the dependant rate of €135 for you and €29.80 for baby per week.

If you claim one parent family, you may be able to keep it while at college.

Unless you have worked for the year 2011, you will not get maternity pay. If you stay registered in college, you will not get JSA during the summer.

If you leave college in May and de register and defer 2nd year, you may be able to claim JSA, if you are still claiming JSA when yo are 23 yo may be able to return to college with a payment to €188 and €29.80 per week on the BTEA.

There's a lot to look into and now is the time to do it. Depending on where you are there should be a support group like 'Waterford Student Mothers' etc that could help you more.

Jennii.

Yeah I'm planning on going back in September. The boyfriend and I are moving in together and he's going to look for a job as soon as his course is finished (luckily, it's only till May)

I'll need to pop down to social welfare office, I just wanted to gather a bit of information first Thanks guys!!

NextSteps

Talk to your college student support office as well. They might be able to set you in the right direction. You never know, there might be a creche available or some support like that.

0ctober

I was told by the community welfare officer that once I was still a student I wouldn't get a thing apart from child benefit. He told me financially I'd be better off dropping out and claiming! Although this is the same guy who said I wouldn't qualify for maternity benefit when I actually did so I kinda disregarded a lot of what he said. Between him, my local social welfare office and the people in my local citizens information office I was given a lot of conflicting advice, so do your research and don't necessarily take what one person tells you as fact. Best of luck!

Jennii.

I thought it might be like that. Tight as ever. I have a few friends who have relatives with information who I'll try contacting as well. I just want to support him/ her till I'm done college and settled in a job