Pregancy and benefits.

Hodgy8403

Hello. I'm really hoping someone can help me with advice regarding my/our situation. Please rest assured, we're not after sympathy or someone to wipe our butts, but neither of us have a clue on benefits etc.
I'm still legally married, can't afford a divorce at the moment (ex's adultery, so not my fault) and am stuck having to pay a chunk of the mortgage on my old house as she's still living there.

Now, happily living with my better half and this is our situation:-

We currently rent a house for £725 pcm and with both our salaries, we're basically able to live but have no money for real luxuries (sky & broadband excepted) and no holidays etc.
My other half has a 13 year old (CSA of £75 pcm) and she's now 16 weeks pregnant (we're very happy about that). She worked for Advance support for 2 years then they were TUPE'd over to Mencap where she signed a contract with them on 1st Oct last year. As it stands, due to her EDD, she's been told she won't be entitled to SMP or mat leave as her dates mean she fails the eligibility criteria. We accept that so know she may be entitled to MA.
Unfortunately, she'll have to give up work, so we lose her wages, which pay utilities and part of our food etc. The council won't consider housing us and we're really worried about being made homeless or going into rent arrears as we don't want to bring the new one into a bad situation as I've struggled to get myself onto an even keel now, but due to mortgage arrears (ex failed to pay a few times) and having to move a few times, have a poor credit rating.
Does anyone know exactly which benefits we can apply for? Can't get hold of CAB at the moment due to weather and entitled to doesn't really explain it to me clearly.
My salary is £20,700 and hers is £8,500 which will halt in May.

I apprecaite we're far better off than many others but may not be in the near future if we can't get any help/assistance etc.

Thanks for any help in advance, like I said we don't expect people to do everything for us, but any assistance gratefully received.

Paul

iamana1ias

Hodgy8403 wrote: »

Unfortunately, she'll have to give up work,

Why?

Witchfinder_General

iamana1ias wrote: »

Why?

To milk the cash cow of course iamna1ias

wobin

Firstly congratulations on your little bundle!

During pregnancy there are 2 grants that you r partner can apply for.

The first from around 25 weeks pregnant, this is the Health in pregnancy Grant (HiPG) £190 and is not means tested i.e. everyone is eligible for it. Your partner's MW should give some lifestyle info and a form which she signs that you can send off for this one off payment.

The 2nd grant is a Sure Start Maternity Grant which is £500 and is means tested so it does depend on your circumstances. It can be applied for from 28/29 weeks pregnant (i think) and you must claim before baby is 3 months old or you lose out. You need to receive or be entitled to more than the basic family and baby elements of tax credits. Now at the moment on your total income for you and your partner you would not qualify - your current income is too high, however your baby is due in the new tax year and you stated your partner may get MA but not SMP and won;t be returning to work. MA is not included as income for tax credits, Your income £20,700 for 1 year and your partner's for April and May only £1,416 would give you a rough child tax credit weekly income of £32(ish) this is more than the basic family and baby element (£21) so you should be entitled to the £500 also.

HTH XX

Hodgy8403

Wobin, thanks very much for that...very helpful, cheers.
Iamanalias, she'll have to give up work as it's quite hard to be a support worker for unstable mentally disabled people whilst either about to give birth or just after as she has a lot of physical duties to carry out with them...I'm sure you wouldn't want your missus to be working then.

WitchFinder general. We are actually trying our hardest to avoid "milking the cash cow" as you so tactfully put it. I've worked since leaving school, 22 years ago, and she has since leaving 25 years ago (except for 6 months after the birth of her elder daughter) so it's not as if I haven't paid taxes etc...and I have never claimed a penny.She informed Tax credits as soon as we moved in together so stopped receiving WTC as she was no longer entitled.
We're not scroungers or trying to milk anything, just trying to ensure we get what we are rightfully entitled to. Everyone else seems to know how to milk the system, we don't. It doesn't mean you can judge us or insinuate we are somehow "bad".
Like I said, I know we're better off than some, but we're not exactly loaded and any help from the cash cow would be more than welcome. You're from Wiltshire, so you know it's not exactly the cheapest of areas to live in around here.
Thanks for your contribution though!!

iamana1ias

Hodgy8403 wrote: »

Wobin, thanks very much for that...very helpful, cheers.
Iamanalias, she'll have to give up work as it's quite hard to be a support worker for unstable mentally disabled people whilst either about to give birth or just after as she has a lot of physical duties to carry out with them...I'm sure you wouldn't want your missus to be working then.

Is that the only job in the world she could do then? Sitting on a supermarket till/cleaning/adminstrative work wouldn't involve any heavy lifting

And I'm a girl :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

sulkisu

I'm usually sitting somewhere on the right in discussions of this type, but I see the OP's problem. Trying to find a new job when you are four months pregnant is not going to be easy - I wouldn't take them on knowing that they would soon be taking a minimum of 6 months maternity leave. As for working afterwards - OPs partner is earning £8000 p.a. Going back to work after baby is born will mean childcare costs, which will eat right into an already low wage (if not use it up altogether). I've no advice on the benefits entitlement I'm afraid, but good luck anyway.

Edit: I personally would much rather my taxes were used in instances like this i.e. to assist those who have worked and paid into the system, who for one reason or another find themselves in need of a little short-term support, as opposed to the don't work/won't work/never worked brigade, who have no need to ask for help on this forum because they understand the benefit system inside out.

McKneff

Witchfinder_General wrote: »

To milk the cash cow of course iamna1ias

Grow up.

There really was no need for that.

Shame on you

McKneff

sulkisu wrote: »

I'm usually sitting somewhere on the right in discussions of this type, but I see the OP's problem. Trying to find a new job when you are four months pregnant is not going to be easy - I wouldn't take them on knowing that they would soon be taking a minimum of 6 months maternity leave. As for working afterwards - OPs partner is earning £8000 p.a. Going back to work after baby is born will mean childcare costs, which will eat right into an already low wage (if not use it up altogether). I've no advice on the benefits entitlement I'm afraid, but good luck anyway.

Edit: I personally would much rather my taxes were used in instances like this i.e. to assist those who have worked and paid into the system, who for one reason or another find themselves in need of a little short-term support, as opposed to the don't work/won't work/never worked brigade, who have no need to ask for help on this forum because they understand the benefit system inside out.

:T Good post there sulkisu.
especially the 'edit'

Hodgy8403

iamana1ias wrote: »

Is that the only job in the world she could do then? Sitting on a supermarket till/cleaning/adminstrative work wouldn't involve any heavy lifting

And I'm a girl :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Obviously, you'd employ someone that's just given birth and may need to take time off, or you'd pay for childcare which costs far more than the wages earned. I never said she'd give up work permanently, just that she will have to, perhaps I should have put "for a while" just to clarify for the people who assume they know everything but don't want to be of any assistance.
I wish sometimes that I could just give up work and be better off living on benefits, but I don't want to. I was in the RAF for 18 years before I was medically discharged. I could have claimed incapacity benefits and countless others then, but I wanted to pay my own way. Now I need some sort of assistance, you and Witchfinder General unilaterally decide I must be some sort of deadbeat who can't be bothered.
And for your info, the job situation around here isn't that great, so no, there's not much opportunity for her at the moment, and there's one supermarket in town which isn't taking on staff.
I'll be sure to take on board your advice though.

daska

iamana1ias wrote: »

And I'm a girl :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

does that mean you couldn't have a missus? I must tell my mates that you don't approve...