benefit during unpaid leave

centennial

I am in full time job since last 4 years and so is my wife. she is on maternity leave (9 months company fully paid leave) which is finishing end of this month. I am on £32k per annum salary and she is on £37k/annum with no savings in the bank(recently bough the property). Right now we claim child benefit around £80 per month. My wife is planning to take another 6 months off(unpaid from the company). Is she eligible for any sort benefit ? right now we are in hand to mouth situation due to coupld of grands we have borrowed from friends towards deposit of our new home. Any benefit amount will be great help.

thanks in advance,
Cen

kingfisherblue

I doubt if you would be entitled to any other benefits on salaries of that size. If you can't afford for your wife to be on maternity leave any longer, she might have to go back earlier than planned.

thorsoak

With a salary of £32,000 per annum, which equals £2,500 plus £80 child benefit, one can hardly say that you are living hand to mouth!

Maybe you should have a look at the budgeting forum for help on drawing up an soa.

Voyager2002

As well as Child Benefit, you should be able to claim Child Tax Credit. Do a proper calculation, both with and without your wife's salary, since details like pension contributions can make a big difference to the amount you actually receive.

And perhaps it would be worth asking your mortgage lender if there is any chance of a payment holiday while your wife is on leave.

KeaneFan10

Voyager2002 wrote: »

As well as Child Benefit, you should be able to claim Child Tax Credit.
No not sure they would get a lot my Brother and his wife earn £30000 a year they get a few pound a week CTC

Indie_Kid

KeaneFan10 wrote: »

Voyager2002 wrote: »

As well as Child Benefit, you should be able to claim Child Tax Credit.
No not sure they would get a lot my Brother and his wife earn £30000 a year they get a few pound a week CTC

You get more for a baby under 1.

Like others have said, your income is too high for benefits, apart from child benefit and possibly some tax credits. Even if your income was low enough, debts would be ignored.

centennial

Many thanks to everyone who has replied. I will google the child tax credit to see if thats applicable to me.

Indie_Kid

www.hmrc.co.uk

nannytone_2

it stuns me that a couple with a baby on 30k can get benefits....even if it is just a 'few pounds!

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

nannytone wrote: »

it stuns me that a couple with a baby on 30k can get benefits....even if it is just a 'few pounds!

The government set rules for how much a couple with a baby need to live on & if you get less then you get benefits.

I don't understand why people get so upset, are you saying that if you were entitled to a few £'S a week that you wouldn't accept it?

I would even if it only pays for a pack of nappies.

Bottom line if the goverment decide you are entitled to something then I don't see any problem with accepting it.

NASA_2

Essentially what you described is a 'career break' - if so then no DWP benefits should be payable.