Orphan told to get pregnant to fund education

A student who lost both her parents within eight months of each other has been told that the only way she can get financial help to continue her A-levels is to become pregnant.

Kirsty Oldfield, 17, was left devastated after her mother Jayne, 45, a nurse, died last year. Then, in January, her father Chris, 46, an accountant, suffered a fatal heart attack.

The sixth former at Salt Grammar School in Baildon, West Yorks, moved in with her half-sister and tried to continue with her studies. But her financial situation is so desperate that she faces having to leave school to get a full-time job, ending her dream of becoming a criminal psychologist.



"I don't want to lose out for working and for sticking with my education," said Miss Oldfield, who earns £46 a week as a part-time chef and gets a £30 weekly maintenance allowance. When she enquired about further benefits, she was told that she would only qualify if she became pregnant.

A Department of Work and Pensions spokesman said a girl aged 17 who had a child and was not working would be able to claim child benefit and may also be able to claim tax credits, housing benefit, council tax benefit and income support.

Thankfully some generous people have seen sense and almost £4,000 has been pledged to help Kirsty in the last 24 hours.