5 minute benefit check up Article Discussion Area

grad_gal25

Please help I am so confused!

I am 26 and for the last year and a half (since graduating) I have been working as a temp (via an agency) while actively career hunting . As a temp work is not guaranteed or stable nor is the hourly wage I receive.

I have recently found out that I am pregnant and my partner has recently got a new job with better pay. We have been panicking about finances with a baby on the way. As it is we are struggling to cover the basics as we both have credit cards to pay off as well as my low income.

My income (if I am lucky) is £210 after tax a week. That is if I have a full week of work and if I receive the better hourly rate that they offer. My partner's income is now £22000 gross.

I have tried entering the details into the calculator and am coming up with £0 even if as I suspect I will only be earning in the region of £5000 between April and the birth of the baby (due in July). This can't be right. Our rent is £585 pm and Council Tax of £175 pm how is this possible? We can't afford to buy a pram or for me to stay at home with the baby. Am I missing something here? How can it be that my partner is supposed to cover all the rent, council tax, food, house hold bills and credit card bills (even mine) let alone stuff that we will need like nappies, baby cloths, etc? There has to be some help????

Any suggestions VERY welcome.

teacup_2

Hi I am a mum and have 2 children , I am not working and my partner earns £17,500.00 a year approx £1140.00 a month we are awarded £229.00 working tax credit ( based on two children )and we get about £116.00 a month child benefit. We have a mortgage of approx £400 a month and council tax of £119.00. Luckily we have no credit card debt and no debts, we dont have much disposable income at all to play with but I didnt work when the kids were babies and all through so even though we didnt have that much money , I always felt lucky that i was with the children as that was important to me. But I do understand woman/parents who cant for whatever reason wether single parent or finacially. If anything I look on it as a challenge making the pennys go round!
I learnt not to be wastefull and bought childrens clothes from car boot sales ,nice colourfull clothes and toys .Budget for shopping and have stopped spending so much money on clothes for myself. Try not to be to worried if anything when another little being comes along it is a bit scary & daunting as well as exciting . We live just fine on this and we do so by not running up debts and not having temptuous credit cards . Personally even if you didnt have your income I beleive you would be just fine(dont know how much your credit card debt is though ) , perhaps make some changes and look at ways in which you can cut back in other areas.
Initial outlay for baby you will have to get a few things, get them while working . But dont be daunted by it, The other mse will be able to help with things you are entitled to ( but we are entitled to that tax credit based on two children) You will get child benefit .
x teacup

ps just noticed your credit card figures, I think some more experienced mse will be able to help you on the credit card areas . I dont know enough their. I am ok on general survival day to day

teacup_2

Hi I am a mum and have 2 children , I am not working and my partner earns £17,500.00 a year approx £1140.00 a month we are awarded £229.00 working tax credit ( based on two children )and we get about £116.00 a month child benefit. We have a mortgage of approx £400 a month and council tax of £119.00. Luckily we have no credit card debt and no debts as we are very sensible, we dont have much disposable income at all to play with but I didnt work when the kids were babies and all through so even though we didnt have that much money , I always felt lucky that i was with the children as that was important to me. But I do understand woman/parents who cant for whatever reason wether single parent or finacially. If anything I look on it as a challenge making the pennys go round!
I learnt not to be wastefull and bought childrens clothes from car boot sales ,nice colourfull clothes and toys .Budget for shopping and have stopped spending so much money on clothes for myself. Try not to be to worried if anything when another little being comes along it is a bit scary & daunting as well as exciting . We live just fine on this and we do so by not running up debts and not having temptuous credit cards . Personally even if you didnt have your income I beleive you would be just fine(dont know how much your credit card debt is though ) , perhaps make some changes and look at ways in which you can cut back in other areas.
Initial outlay for baby you will have to get a few things, get them while working . But dont be daunted by it, The other mse will be able to help with things you are entitled to ( but we are entitled to that tax credit based on two children) You will get child benefit .
x teacup

hamish72_2

When I use the calculator at http://entitledto.co.uk/ I am entitled to council tax benefit
however when I input the same data to the calculator on Copeland BC site I am entitled to a great big 0.

Th one difference is that the Council calculator asks for private pension before tax deduction whilst Entitled to calculator asks for it after deductions

?????

simplymyeye

I did the calculation yesterday as my baby is due in June so i wanted to see what i would be entitled to, i am currently self employed in my first year so only earnt £5k Nov 07 Apr 08 and will now be on MA while my husband earns £13,750 - the calculator said we would be entitled to full council tax benefit - so i called nottingham council to check and they told me that unless we earnt less than £174 per week with the baby we wouldnt be entitled to anything??? Surely people on benefits when they add them all up probably get more than that..... Im realy confused how the figures are so different.... Im still going to apply as it will be a struggle on the £110 pw MA with mortgage and other bills to pay would be nice to get some help the one time when we need it.....

bigjuicygrasshopper

Hi

I have a friend who is 21 and earns approx 11k a year. She is in a relationship with a guy who earns the same amount (he is 31). He has a 4 year old daughter he sees twice a month for one night each time.

Currently living with her parents (the pair of them) as they can't afford their own place, they've been looking for some way of boosting their income (he pays about £200 a month in maintenance for his daughter), but it appears if you are under 25 you can't claim WTC? Obviously I've pointed out to her that her partner can claim WTC so she's getting him to look into that tonight. I've had a look for her though online (entitledto, direct.gov etc) but genuinely can't find ANYTHING to help her?!!

If anyone can point me in the right direction to give them a hand I'd be really grateful as they really are at the end of their tethers!!

Thanks
Bigjuicygrasshopper

kerryallc71

i just used this calculator ( entitledto.co.uk ) and i used the inland revenue one ( today 21st april 08 ) .. i used both of these calculators when it was the beginning of the new tax year ( 6th april 08 ) and both of them gave me near the same figures if not the same ..

ive used the entitledto website for years now and i think they are great , i just hope that this time they are right ..

my husband has just had his p60 .. which is pretty early , we usually get it in may middle of the month time ..

just got to wait for the yearly declaration from tax credits now ..

see you from kerry ..

simplymyeye

Has anyone recieved council tax benefit after doing the calculations on this site??? I am confused

dawnylou

I was curious to see how much we would be entitled to if we fell pregnant so I put in a due date of next January only to see we wouldn't be entitled to anything?!? What's that all about? Well we definately can't afford it then as we go overdrawn every month now without having to buy baby essentials!!

redmel1621

I've not used the entitledto website before. but I have had all my renewals done from tax credits and housing benefit, so I will pop on there now and report back to see if they come up with the same figures.

dawnylou. you won't be entitled to extra benefits for being pregnant...try putting in that you had a baby yesterday, see if that gives you anything?

Mel x