bsansum
Benfits Adviser, Outreach Project, St Pauls Advice Centre, Bristol
Member since 26th Jul 2005
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Maternity Grant
Tue 26-Jul-05 10:53 AM |
I do a benefits drop-in session at a local health centre and this morning a midwife has asked a question that has stumped me - hopefully someone will be able to help...
The midwife states that she has a patient who has had 6 children in the last six years, and that all of them have been removed from her and taken into care due to the patient’s extremely severe substance abuse issues. The last three children have been removed at birth and have been in intensive care for a while, before being passed to Social Services.
The midwife states that, based on a conversation she had this morning with the patient and her long-term partner (who also has severe SA issues), she believes that the £500 Maternity Grant is proving an incentive for them to continue having children.
The midwife has therefore asked if the patent can still claim a Maternity Grant even if the medical and social authorities have made arrangements for the baby to go into care as soon as s/he is born? I have looked at the Regs and they appear to simply state entitlement is based on having given birth rather than giving birth and then caring for a baby. It appears that the patient is therefore entitled to claim a Maternity Grant.
Would more experienced advisers agree with this reading of the Regs?
I am also slightly uncomfortable with advising a third party about potentially restricting a claimants entitlement to benefit.
Does anyone have any opinions on this?
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