New Parent?

edwardw

Hi all
In april i will be a new parent
I work full time, and my gf works full time on a temporary contract, which ends just before she is due.
We live together in a rented house.
Just asking what the options of help would be once she has left work?
Im assuming she can get maternity pay from the government?
Also what about Income/Housing payments?
CHeers

Jowo_2

You can check your benefit entitlements on the Turn2us online benefit calculator. What is your income?

Here is a link to some basic info on maternity/paternity pay and rights

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Moneyandworkentitlements/WorkAndFamilies/index.htm

And info on help for working parents

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Childcare/DG_4016029

Maternity pay comes from an employer, not the govt. Here's some info here to determine if the mother is eligible.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Expectingorbringingupchildren/DG_10018741

jlpike

It will be worth looking into this in detail as you might not get Statuaty maternity pay. Your GF contract will have finished and therfore she will not be employed so no SMP. You also have to be working at thesame company for someting like 26 weeks.

Type SMP into google and look at the government website it will explain.

cazj80

If she's not entitled to SMP she may well be entitled to maternity allowance - as long as you have worked 26 weeks out of a test period of 66 weeks and have earned over £30 per week. MA is calculated at 90% of earnings or £124.88 per week, whichever is the lower, for a total of 39 weeks. I had to claim this as I fell pregnant just before I started in a new job.

edwardw

My income is 17500pa.
and re the maternity pay, correct, but there is something about maternity allowance?
/w w w.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Expectingorbringingupchildren/DG_10018869
Its all a bit scary really i know i cant afford it all from my wage...

edwardw

cazj80 wrote: »

If she's not entitled to SMP she may well be entitled to maternity allowance - as long as you have worked 26 weeks out of a test period of 66 weeks and have earned over £30 per week. MA is calculated at 90% of earnings or £124.88 per week, whichever is the lower, for a total of 39 weeks. I had to claim this as I fell pregnant just before I started in a new job.

That sounds about right.
I also read somewhere that if your claiming income support/jsa (not sure she could?) then you also get the full rate of housing allowance, could this be done whilst she was receiving MA?

Sam____2

edwardw wrote: »

That sounds about right.
I also read somewhere that if your claiming income support/jsa (not sure she could?) then you also get the full rate of housing allowance, could this be done whilst she was receiving MA?

No as you are working full time you will definately not get full LHA, you can aply but going on your wage and with child benefit and child tax credits it's doubtfull you'd get it but it's always worth a try.

Jowo_2

edwardw wrote: »

...
I also read somewhere that if your claiming income support/jsa (not sure she could?) then you also get the full rate of housing allowance, could this be done whilst she was receiving MA?

This is not necessarily the case and as LHA is means tested, your income will be taken into account. JSA is for those actively seeking work. Income support tends to be paid to single parents not in employment, not those where there is a full time wage earner.

What is your rent? What is the maximum LHA entitlement for a 2 bedroom property in your area?

People who get the maximum LHA entitlement do so when their rent is equal or less than the maximum LHA rate and if the household has low income.

To understand the maximum LHA, see the LHA Direct website, but then put your details (the April scenario) into the Turn2us benefit calculator which will factor in your income and any other benefits and adjust for it.

You are definately entitled to Child Benefit of £20.30 per week. You may possibly qualify for some kind of maternity allowance, perhaps some tax credits, perhaps some LHA. Other posters will be able to identify other benefits that your household could potentially be entitled to.

But 17.5k is not a low income when it comes to means tested benefits. Do not delude yourself that your full rent will suddenly become free when the combination of your income and child benefit alone, excluding other potential allowances, means nearly £300 per week is coming into your household.

desperate_for_advice_2

"Who is eligible for SMP?

To qualify for SMP you must have been:

• employed by the same employer continuously for at least 26 weeks into the 15th week before the week your baby is due (the qualifying week)
• earning on average an amount which at least equals the lower earnings limit which applies on the Saturday at the end of your qualifying week"

Hi,

Dunno if this still applies as she is on a temporary contract, but I cannot see why it would not.
Basically, as far as my understanding on it is, she will be entitled to SMP from her employer if she has worked for 26 weeks continously, and is still employed by them when she is 25 weeks pregnant. If your partner is not however entitled to SMP, then Maternity Allowance from the jobcentre would be an option. Hope this helps. Oh and good luck and hope everything goes well!!

edwardw

Jowo wrote: »

This is not necessarily the case and as LHA is means tested, your income will be taken into account. JSA is for those actively seeking work. Income support tends to be paid to single parents not in employment, not those where there is a full time wage earner.

What is your rent? What is the maximum LHA entitlement for a 2 bedroom property in your area?

People who get the maximum LHA entitlement do so when their rent is equal or less than the maximum LHA rate and if the household has low income.

To understand the maximum LHA, see the LHA Direct website, but then put your details (the April scenario) into the Turn2us benefit calculator which will factor in your income and any other benefits and adjust for it.

You are definately entitled to Child Benefit of £20.30 per week. You may possibly qualify for some kind of maternity allowance, perhaps some tax credits, perhaps some LHA. Other posters will be able to identify other benefits that your household could potentially be entitled to.

But 17.5k is not a low income when it comes to means tested benefits. Do not delude yourself that your full rent will suddenly become free when the combination of your income and child benefit alone, excluding other potential allowances, means nearly £300 per week is coming into your household.

Cheers mate, its not easy all this is it.
i was under the impression that if you were on any benefit you would gain the maximum LHA, the rate around here is 148, and i pay £525 a month rent.

Sam___ wrote: »

No as you are working full time you will definately not get full LHA, you can aply but going on your wage and with child benefit and child tax credits it's doubtfull you'd get it but it's always worth a try.

desperate_for_advice wrote: »

"Who is eligible for SMP?

To qualify for SMP you must have been:

• employed by the same employer continuously for at least 26 weeks into the 15th week before the week your baby is due (the qualifying week)
• earning on average an amount which at least equals the lower earnings limit which applies on the Saturday at the end of your qualifying week"

Hi,

Dunno if this still applies as she is on a temporary contract, but I cannot see why it would not.
Basically, as far as my understanding on it is, she will be entitled to SMP from her employer if she has worked for 26 weeks continously, and is still employed by them when she is 25 weeks pregnant. If your partner is not however entitled to SMP, then Maternity Allowance from the jobcentre would be an option. Hope this helps. Oh and good luck and hope everything goes well!!

Cheers,

Jowo_2

edwardw wrote: »

Cheers mate, its not easy all this is it.
i was under the impression that if you were on any benefit you would gain the maximum LHA, the rate around here is 148, and i pay £525 a month rent.

Yes, it is complex. There are more than 50 benefits, allowances and credits, many with complex interdependencies.

Household income is always taken into account, including savings/capital above 6k, too.

If you are looking at entirely workless or semi-workless households (such as a single adult in part time employment or entirely workless household) you are comparing apples with pears because you have a full time wage coming in.

These types of household may or may not qualify for full LHA depending on a variety of factors, but your household has an above minimum wage income coming into it. Receipt of one means tested benefit doesn't suddenly catapult the whole household into receiving the maximum LHA.