Not returning to work after baby- what benefits will we be entitled to?

linzbam

Hi all

Im currently pregnant with my first child. bothme and my other half work full time, he is the main bread winner earning nearly £20k. i on the other hand only earn £12k. I have been looking at our finances for when maternity leave kicks in and i think well do ok but when maternity leave finishes we just cant afford for me to go back to work and pay for child care as over half my wage would hve to pay for it but it already covers the majority of our other household bills.

Does anyone know roughly what our entitlements be if i decided not to return to work and roughly what we could expect to get? I would really not like to return to work if we can afford it as i dont want to mss out on watching lilun grow up and learn things while im at work full time (im my job part time is not an option).

Any help would be appreciated

alexiawest

Im sure someone with more knowledge will come along and give more indepth advice than I can, but I think you will get working tax credit, child tax credit and child benefit, though to get tax credit you will have to meet certain criteria, child benefit is something everyone gets and is around £18 for your eldest child I think. I think thats it though as other benefits such as income support are means tested and your other half earns too much to claim that.

Hope that helps a little.

bestpud

You will recieve child benefit of £20 a week and, if the baby is due after 1st April you will receive a health in pregnancy grant of £190.

Based on your OH's current income, you should recieve at least £10 a week child tax credits (very likely a bit more) but that is doubled until your baby is a year old, so basically at least £20 a week for the first year.

If you receive more than the family element of ctc, which I think you will, you can apply for the one off surestart maternity grant of £500. You have to wait until the baby is born but only have three months so don't delay applying once you have child benefit and tax credits sorted.

Remember you won't have work related costs, such as travel and clothes, either.

alwaysonthego_2

bestpud wrote: »

if the baby is due after 1st April you will receive a health in pregnancy grant of £190.

BP it is the 6th of April for HPG

custardy

linzbam wrote: »

Hi all

Im currently pregnant with my first child. bothme and my other half work full time, he is the main bread winner earning nearly £20k. i on the other hand only earn £12k. I have been looking at our finances for when maternity leave kicks in and i think well do ok but when maternity leave finishes we just cant afford for me to go back to work and pay for child care as over half my wage would hve to pay for it but it already covers the majority of our other household bills.

Does anyone know roughly what our entitlements be if i decided not to return to work and roughly what we could expect to get? I would really not like to return to work if we can afford it as i dont want to mss out on watching lilun grow up and learn things while im at work full time (im my job part time is not an option).

Any help would be appreciated

bear in mind there is help towards chilcare costs
my OH works FT with monday/saturday as days off
me off Sundays so we need the nursery 4 days a week
i cant recall the figures but we get quite a chunk towards nursery costs

cuddly12

Hi,

You would be entitled to tax credits but these would be minimal as your partner earns a decent wage, you will also be able to get CHB of £80 per month, you would not however get help with childcare costs if you were to stay at home, only if you went back to work and again this help would be based on both your combined wages so you may be entitled to something but not a great deal x