Sure Start Grant advice??

spendaload

Hi I am currently in the process of redundancy and will be made redundant at 27 weeks preganant, I am aware that the company that I work for will have to pay my maternity pay for the next 26 weeks(??) [as I have worked for the company for nearly 2 years] but as I will only receive one week redundancy I am wondering if I am entitled to the sure start grant as my OH is employed and earns around £17,00 (he has only been working at this wage amount for 5 months). I am just really worried and confused about the benefit system (they could make it a bit clearer!!) and what we do in terms of managing money as we have a very high mortgage and debts.

Any help / advise will be really appreciated. Thanks

MrsManda

Do you meet the conditions of the Sure Start Maternity Grant?

You can get a Sure Start Maternity Grant if you or your partner receive any of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element
• Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability element is included in the award

and if one of the following applies to you:

• you or your partner are pregnant and expecting a baby within 11 weeks or have given birth within the last three months
• you or your partner have adopted a child, or in certain circumstances have been granted a residence order for a child, within the last three months and the child is less than one year old
• you and your husband or wife have been granted a parental order for a surrogate birth within the last three months
• you or your partner are getting benefit for a dependant under the age of 20 who is pregnant and expecting a baby within 11 weeks or has given birth within the last three months

Have you filled out the Benefits Advisor on direct.gov.uk?
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/DoItOnline/DoItOnlineByCategory/DG_172666

It'll give you a basic idea of what benefits/tax credits you may be entitled to.

In terms of managing your finances it may be worth you filling out a Statement of Affairs on the DebtFreeWannabe to see if you can cut down on your expenses. It's better to prepare now rather than leaving it until later.

spendaload

Hi MrsManda, thanks for your reply - my OH and I are currently 'employed' (I am soon to be unemployed) so do not get any benefits but would I have to claim benefit when I am made redundant in order to be eliglible for the grant? at 27 weeks pregnant I will not be job searching and my employer has confused me as they will pay my maternity from 29 weeks (with a weeks holiday and 1 weeks redundancy) I will therefore be 29 weeks pregnant and have to therefore take my maternity leave 6 weeks earlier than I wanted (money wise this is going to be hell!)
I hope that my confused rant makes some sort of sense!!! Thanks

spendaload

OOOPPPPSSS I ment that because I will be 29 weeks pregnant in terms of 'weeks payments' from my employer I may not be eligible for any benefits as my maternity leave will already have started (sure they can make you take it 11 weeks before due date) even though I an not employed and have no employment to return to.

Indie_Kid

spendaload wrote: »

Hi MrsManda, thanks for your reply - my OH and I are currently 'employed' (I am soon to be unemployed) so do not get any benefits but would I have to claim benefit when I am made redundant in order to be eliglible for the grant?

Is this your first child? If so, and you end up claiming CTC higher than the new baby and family premium, you can claim up to 3 months after the birth.