Expecting mother, should she go back to work?

BurntOut wrote: »

My friend (N.Ireland Resident) who is currently 11 weeks pregnant lost her job on sept 24th this year, not knowing she was actually pregnant yet LOL.
But anyway, she wasnt with the company for 2yrs (2mnths short) and they went into administration so she got no salary, redundancy or anything. Has no savings etc and has just started claiming JSA while she looks for work.
Heres the quandrum she is now in. Should she stay out of work and claim benefits now & when the child is born, looking at what a single mother would be entitled too seems to be more than what someone working would be.
She also has just got word that another company may have got the contract for the role that her previous company had and they have asked her if it gets up and running again would she be willing to come back and work on the same type of contract. So she'd be back to earning £18000 per yr.
She's worried about expensive childcare costs etc and having to do it all herself on what would be her already stretched salary.
Being her first child and having not a clue about internet access LOL I said I would post this on here for her so all the knowledgeable people could advise us if its worth her going back to work.
PS she has always been a worker (like myself) who has never claimed benefits, but with what we have been reading online etc, does it really pay a single mum to work these days??Thanks all for any details you can provide as to what she would be eligible for etc.