Single Mother, What Am I Entitled To?

Anih27

Hi, I hope I'm posting this in the correct section. Please feel free to tell me if not. I am looking for advice/experience from other posters about entitlements as a single mother. My lo is 5 months old & I am due to return to full time work next week however I was diagnosed with PND a few weeks back.

I do not get sick pay from my employer so I will have to apply for illness benefit as my maternity benefit ends this week. Since I have a dependent child am I entitled to more than the usual illness benefit payment?

I am hoping when I do return to work to only do 3 days as I do not have anyone to look after my lo more than these three days. Even working full time would not pay for 5 days a week in a crèche as my salary isn't huge. I am stuck between a rock & a hard place really & would be working just to pay for childcare. It kills me to think that I will have to ask for state help although there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing that when the situation occurs, I have never been in a situation where I have has to before but to give my lo the best which is all lo deserves I will do anything I have to as a mother to make that happen.

I am just wondering if anyone else out there has any advice at all for me? It would be greatly appreciated.

lmullen

I'm not speaking from my own experiences but I think there's a lone parent allowance and our may also be entitled to rent allowance (if renting). Go to you local social welfare office or citizens advice and see what they say!

Jonny Blaze

*mod note* personal abuse will not be tolerated

Anih27

edited

Jonny Blaze

I'm not talking down to you, and I don't presume to be perfect, I just have a bit of a sense of personal accountability.

Here also is some information that may be useful.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/social_welfare_payments_to_families_and_children/one_parent_family_payment.html

Anih27

Jonny Blaze wrote: »

I'm not talking down to you, and I don't presume to be perfect, I just have a bit of a sense of personal accountability.

Here also is some information that may be useful.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/social_welfare_payments_to_families_and_children/one_parent_family_payment.html

I have a great deal of personal accountability thank you very much, just because i fell pregnant does not lower that in any such way! so rather than you refer to my child as a mistake please remove yourself from my thread.

foxy06

So in a case where say, contraception doesn't work, she should go and have an abortion because otherwise its just selfish. Is that what you're saying?

Her problem like most parents (not just single parents) is the lack of affordable and adequate (and trustworthy by latest reports) childcare.

Jonny Blaze

I did no such thing, also it clearly does lower my perception of your level of personal accountability if you have just admitted that your pregnancy was a surprise, as this can be possible, in the overwhelming majority of cases, only through unprotected sex, something that is wholly within the remit of your responsibilities as an adult human being.

I apologise for the offense caused and wish you all the best

Jonny Blaze

foxy06 wrote: »

So in a case where say, contraception doesn't work, she should go and have an abortion because otherwise its just selfish. Is that what you're saying?

Of course not, there is no easy solution to this, however I feel it has been reasonably established that contraception is effective if used correctly in 99% of cases. There are an awful lot more single mothers claiming benefits for children they cannot afford than could possibly account for the 0.1% chance they would have of falling pregnant if taking steps to ensure they are making effective use of any one of the plethora of contraceptive measures available.

It is therefore likely that the vast majority of these women have failed in their responsibilities and are left with no option other than to seek government handouts for their own personal failings and sucking money out of the exchequer as a result, burdening other people with the costs in a completely selfish manner.

What would not have been selfish was to ensure that if you are having sex and you have a chance of falling pregnant, yet do not possess sufficient means to care for any potential offspring, that you take every measure to ensure that such an event does not come to pass. Since there are an abundance of contraceptive measures available, there really isn't any excuse.

kirving

Jonny Blaze wrote: »

failed in their responsibilities and are left with no option other than to seek government handouts for their own personal failings and sucking money out of the exchequer as a result.

She has a job which paid her maternity leave until now. You can hardly blame her for being depressed.

Anyway, you're very small minded if you don't realise that the tax her child will eventually pay will far outweigh the amount of childrens allowance she ever receives.

This isn't the place for a rant.

Anih27

Johnny blaze I do not need you to perceive me in any way shape or form you do not know me you do not know the levels of contraception I took to ensure I did not fall pregnant however I am not in a place to justify myself to you. I posted looking for advice not for a lecture from some wannabe politician so please remove yourself.

Jonny Blaze

This isn't the place for a rant.

You are totally correct, and as I said earlier, I do apologise for the offense and will withdraw from the thread now.

Also, here is another link to some more information that may be useful.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/social_welfare_payments_to_families_and_children/family_income_supplement.html

Mr. Incognito

Jonny Blaze wrote: »

I'm gonna call this one early and say maybe you should have thought of this before having a child? You know, you're capacity to care for it effectively? Or perhaps taken measures to ensure contraception in the event that the child came about as a surprise.

I would say you are entitled to bear the responsibility of dealing with the consequences associated with your actions.

Congratulations in any case.

Post reported for personal abuse.

Maybe you should hand out judgement to the father while you are at it.

On topic contact your local social welfare office.

Entitlements include
Child benefit.
Social housing list bump
Etc

LegacyUser

Hi,
I had a surprise pregnancy as well but I'm not single. Don't mind him, probably he's not a parent yet and doesn't know about the difficulties of raising children, specially small babies.
I think the biggest problem as mentioned before in this country is the lack of affordable childcare. I had to give up work after my second cos I wasn't going to work just to earn enough to pay for childcare.
I have friends that are single mothers and as far as I know there is a payment you can get, I found this on the citizens advice centre http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/social_welfare_payments_to_families_and_children/one_parent_family_payment.html

I know how difficult is to have no one to help you with your child or give you a rest specially if you are suffering from PND. I think you should have a talk with the gp or the Citizens Information Centre and they may be able to point you in the right direction.

Good luck with everything. As a mother I really admire single mothers cos its such a hard job you are doing and everything by yourself. Don't mind ignorant people who don't know what they are talking about.

MurdyWurdy

What about the father? Is he helping at all? You are entitled to maintenance from him anyway.

Anih27

Yes he is providing maintenance.

Madisson

Anih27 wrote: »

Yes he is providing maintenance.

Youre entitled to illness benefit plus dependant child allowance. When u start back in work u can get one parent family which will be means tested on your income and the maintenance youre getting.

Madisson

*mod note*
Report a post if you have an issue with it please.

anncoates

*mod note* report a post if you have an issue with it please

Moonbeam

Jonny Blaze wrote: »

I did no such thing, also it clearly does lower my perception of your level of personal accountability if you have just admitted that your pregnancy was a surprise, as this can be possible, in the overwhelming majority of cases, only through unprotected sex, something that is wholly within the remit of your responsibilities as an adult human being.

I apologise for the offense caused and wish you all the best

Unhelpful posting and personal abuse is not tolerated in the parenting forum

Moonbeam

Thread closed.
Op I hope you got the information that you were looking for.