Redundancy is stressful at the best of times, but getting the news when you or your partner is expecting a child is especially worrying. However, help is at hand for someone in exactly your position.

The first thing we’d advise you to do is to understand your rights and the channels of support that are available to you. Although we understand this is a daunting time, the quicker you do this the sooner you’ll be able to access the support you’re entitled to. So we would recommend doing this as soon as possible.

One great source of information about this is Maternity Action. There is lots of information on where to turn for healthcare and financial support, as well as a phone line that you can ring for a free and confidential consultation. Their section on what benefits you may be entitled to if made redundant when pregnant is particularly helpful.

Another great organisation is Pregnant Then Screwed. They have a confidential advice line and focus on upholding rights for pregnant women and their partners. So if you believe your pregnancy was a factor in your redundancy, which is illegal in workplace law, you can speak to them about challenging your employer’s decision.

How we can help

Here at FTCT we have supported several parents who have been made redundant from jobs in fashion and textiles in the last year alone. You can see a full list of what we mean by fashion and textiles here.

We have been there for parents affected by high-street closures like BHS, Debenhams, Mothercare and many more. You can see our Director, Anna talk about our work on ITV News here.

We support families where a parent/carer works or has worked in fashion and textiles. You can see a full list of what we mean by fashion and textiles here. The list is a lot bigger than you think, so please do take a look before deciding this isn’t you.

If you have been told you face redundancy, even if you are still employed for the time being, you can get in touch straight away to see if we can help you and, if we can, how we can support you through our grants. Read more about our grants.

Can FTCT help when I’m pregnant?

Unfortunately you can’t apply for one of our grants until your child is born. This is because you need to provide proof of their name, date of birth and that you are in receipt of child benefit to support your application.

You can apply for an older sibling, while still pregnant, as long as you meet our other criteria. Find out if you are eligible and what you can buy with our grants.

But just because you can’t apply until your baby is born, that doesn’t mean you can’t get in touch with our grants team and get advice on how to apply after the big day. And it’ll be worth getting everything ready before your child is born, as you may be quite busy in the days and weeks immediately after!

Things you can do before your child is born include making a list of the things you’ll need to provide to support your application. So from the time you make a successful application for child benefit, you can use the confirmation to evidence this part of your claim.

Maybe make an FTCT application folder, ready for everything you’ll need for your application. You can also pre-write your online enquiry, stating exactly why you are applying for a grant (first thing to mention is that you have been made redundant) and why you believe you are eligible – so your trade connection and the financial hardship you are facing.

For more information on the process of applying for a grant following redundancy, you can refer to our redundancy guide here. 

 I read about FTCT grants in a letter from our redundancy administrators. I didn’t apply at first because I wasn’t sure if I would have to pay it back when I got a new job. I knew I had to give FTCT a go. I filled in FTCT’s online enquiry form and, when I got an email back from the grants team, I was so glad. The process of applying was really simple.