Made redundant whilst pregnant, getting SMP but entitled to nothing else?!

katwoman28

Thanks,

I'm a real 2nd hand girl too and have no qualms about everything but the mattress and carseat being used. Between ebay, charity-shops and hand-me-downs we are absolutely sorted for all of the basics with barely any outlay at all.

It's just general survival I'm worried about and will take on all of this advice and go to the CAB.
Once the baby is here we will apply for tax credits, child tax credits and sure-start, although I'm told that because of my wierd legal position I may not get this either.

Tax credits, the council, jobcentre and old hr department have never dealt with someone in my situation and therefore have no idea.....which doesn't help, they don't even know where to send me for advice.

Thanks again,
Kx

josephine1_2

Sorry Kat, I skim read your post and missed that you knew about the grant an tax cr. The CAB are meant to be good at knowing your entitlements, plus there's an online benefit checker on here. I'd think of wether you have any skills that you could make money from e.g. when I couldn't work in the last few months of my pregnancy I bought and sold stuff on ebay and decluttered my house, which was very handy with all the mad amount of stuff that comes with a baby

josephine1_2

K, I used to buy a pack of nappies every time they were on offer, so that I had enough size 1 and 2 to last about 3 months when my daughter arrived. Plus, I wrote a list of everything we needed so that when a friend or relative said what do you need, I could easily tell them, simple but it worked. Keep trying to find your answers, you will get there. Post on other forums too, I found Bounty really helpful.

flower24

josephine1 wrote: »

K, I used to buy a pack of nappies every time they were on offer, so that I had enough size 1 and 2 to last about 3 months when my daughter arrived. Plus, I wrote a list of everything we needed so that when a friend or relative said what do you need, I could easily tell them, simple but it worked. Keep trying to find your answers, you will get there. Post on other forums too, I found Bounty really helpful.

These are all good ideas.

Tesco are going to be selling 6 packs of pampers sensitive baby wipes for £3.66 from Wednesday for a few days.

Glamazon

Twinkle29 wrote: »

I understand your reason for questioning this. I am currently 12 weeks pregnant and don't know how we are going to cope once I go on maternity leave. I am however employed but will still only get the 6 weeks at 90% and then the other 33 weeks on £123 per week which is less than half my normal weekly earnings. We are entitled to very little tax credits as these will be based on my full salary and not the reduced maternity pay, and with our morgage being £830 per month for a 2 bed terrace as we bought at the top of the boom and have a high fixed interest rate, one FSA calculator said we will be £7500 in debt when the baby turns 1! Why do the benefit calculations not take into account your monthly outgoings? And why is there not any additional benefit available when on maternity leave. My husband works over 40 hours a week so I can't claim income support! And my grandparents tell me 'you can always find a way if its for your child', I don't see how?

You apply for the tax credits with last years earnings and then once you've had the baby and gone onto SMP you let them know what u are earning.

I am on SMP now - still on the 90% until end of Sept but then 33 weeks at a quarter of my normal wage!

OP - don't get upset. Your posts were a bit confusing and that's why people have misunderstood you. I''m due anytime and cried after someone called me an a r s e hole on eBay for their own mistake but just relax!
Come and join us on the pregnancy thread for ideas on how to save money (and have a good natter).
Check out the OS boards for ideas on batch cooking etc. I'm doing mine this week so my freezer is full!

ASDA will have another baby event on soon so get yourself down there to stock up on cheap nappies althou I believe LIDL own are supposed to be rated quite well.

Have you had the HiPG? It's £190 and you get it from 25 weeks - not means tested.

katwoman28

Thanks guys,
I've gone for some of the wipes deals already and have saved an absolute bomb by buying 2nd hand bamboo terries and nappy wraps off ebay, so no paying for nappies! I even plan to use washable home-made fleece wipes once I'm into a routine and can handle it.

Kx

flea72

katwoman28 wrote: »

The simple matter is that I have no job, I cannot work now and will be getting exactly the same mat pay as anyone else that is unemployed with £200 IN TOTAL on top from my employer and am frightened and upset that we have no way of coping, other than my partner's low wage

so what is the £200 for? 2wks redundancy pay? or 4wks PILON? or an additional sum on top of these?

Flea

katwoman28

It's my 6 weeks at 90% figure minus 6 weeks at £123.06 per week over that period. What's left over basically.
I was on a very low wage, so it doesn't top up the standard pay much, but I'm not complaining about the extra money at all.
Sorry, I am actually numerically dyslexic, so not very good at explaining numbers!
The reason I gave this figure was to clarify the situation as I have heard since of people in my exact situation who are being given income support.
Confusing!
I only want what I'm entitled to and these accounts may have been wrong, so if I can get the child tax credits and tax credits, great!

smk77

katwoman28 wrote: »

It's my 6 weeks at 90% figure minus 6 weeks at £123.06 per week over that period. What's left over basically.
I was on a very low wage, so it doesn't top up the standard pay much, but I'm not complaining about the extra money at all.
Sorry, I am actually numerically dyslexic, so not very good at explaining numbers!
The reason I gave this figure was to clarify the situation as I have heard since of people in my exact situation who are being given income support.
Confusing!
I only want what I'm entitled to and these accounts may have been wrong, so if I can get the child tax credits and tax credits, great!

I'm confused here. Are you going to be worse off financially from now until the end of SMP than you would have been had you not lost your job? You are still getting SMP from 7th Sept and the 90% 6 weeks maternity other than the 10%? Surely the 2 weeks redundancy is more that?

flea72

Sorry, im still not understanding the figures, so dont know how to help you

if you are on a very low wage, you do know you wont get full SMP, but a reduced rate of 90% of your normal pay?

however, how i read it - between 12th august (date of redundancy) and 7th september (start of mat leave) you should have been able to claim JSA, as you were still employable (though highly unlikely someone would), and if not then IS should have kicked in - however the fact your partner works/earns, might mean you arent entitled to IS

However once baby arrives, thats when you should get some more financial help, via CTC, WTC and Child benefit. In the meantime though it looks like SMP is the only thing you can get (your SMP and partners wages will put you above any other benefit levels)

However, im still having trouble grasping what the £200 is for? do you mean the difference between your 90% pay and SMP equates to roughly £200 over the 6wks, in that you will be getting £156 for the first 6wks? then SMP

Flea