Pregnant in full time work but think i'm better off on benefits

Den5973

Hi i'm after some advice, i'm single pregnant and work full time but i've been told by my midwife and others that i would be better off on benefits. i need to know if this is correct and if so what benefits they are. i'm told that if i claim benefits i can still work 15/16 hrs a wk without it effecting my money. Can i just go from been employed full time to me dropping my hrs to 15 per week and claim benefits. all is is very new to me and i haven't got a clue PLEASE HELP!!!!!

Indie_Kid

That's not quite correct. You can keep the first £5 / £20 (I think it's £5 if you're pregnant - not sure though) of benefits if you work less than 16 hours per week.

DLT64

do you pay rent and council tax ?

whitewing

I'm amazed that your midwife told you that...and your thread title seems quite provocative.

How long have you been lurking on these boards?

(Apologies if this is genuine, but it's an unusual first post).

cosmic-dust

Den5973 wrote: »

Hi i'm after some advice, i'm single pregnant and work full time but i've been told by my midwife and others that i would be better off on benefits. i need to know if this is correct and if so what benefits they are. i'm told that if i claim benefits i can still work 15/16 hrs a wk without it effecting my money. Can i just go from been employed full time to me dropping my hrs to 15 per week and claim benefits. all is is very new to me and i haven't got a clue PLEASE HELP!!!!!

Your midwife would be better doing her job and stops trying to be a benefit advisor as she clearly doesn't have a clue about what she's talking about.

If you work 16 hours per week you can claim working tax and child tax credits.
If you work 15 hours per week you don't get working tax and they reduce your Income support, you get to keep the first £20 per week then they deduct £1 for £1 after that. You would also be eligible for child tax credits.

Maybe the father could contribute to the child he helped create.

Penny-Pincher!!

Den5973 wrote: »

Hi i'm after some advice, i'm single pregnant and work full time but i've been told by my midwife and others that i would be better off on benefits.

Of course they did!! How would a midwife know information on benefit entitlement?

lynzpower

whitewing wrote: »

I'm amazed that your midwife told you that...and your thread title seems quite provocative.

How long have you been lurking on these boards?

(Apologies if this is genuine, but it's an unusual first post).

I used to work closely with midwives, they used to make all sorts of stuff up, telling everyone they would be entitled to the sure start allowance for example, or housing benefit or a council flat

Was very hard to help people readjust their expectations when they went around churning out this sort of rubbish without a lot of knowledge.

Jowo_2

Use the Turn2us website, which is an online benefit calculator, to model those three scenarios (in full time and part-time work and on benefits). If you rent your property, you can find out your LHA (housing benefit) on the LHA direct website. I believe you won't be eligible for a rate that includes a bedroom for the baby until the baby is born.

Then come back to the forum and tell us if you are better off or not if you give up your job.