Second baby on way, what will benefits be?

welshcakes

Well, no doubt skintio is aware that she would have to declare and pay tax on any and all cash earnings and that she would have to ntify the benefits office of any change of circumstances. This has been rather an emotive thread however it has provided some sound finance ideas for the OP and that's always a positive outcome on this site.

With regards to maintenance post birth, the IS review form is probably the same as ICB in that there is a specific question with regard to what maintenance is received; where no payment is in place, the jobcentre ask for the absent parent's details so that they can approach the CSA to arrange an assessment. If you tick no permission given for this, you then have a box where you have to give valid reason for refusing permission.

It is designed to (quite rightly) remove burden from the benefits system and provide financial accountability to the other parent.

Becles

Chrysalis wrote:

isnt incapacity benefit available for certian parts of the pregnancy?

Sort of! If you can't get SMP or Maternity Allowance, you can claim Incapacity Benefit for a few weeks around the birth. I'm not sure if it is based on NI contributions or not though.

If you are poorly during the pregnancy, you can claim IB, but they might make you start your SMP/MA early if it's a pregnancy related illness.

It was really complicated to understand, so apologies if I've got it wrong. I'm entitled to MA, so I didn't keep the IB notes.

skintio

zoezoe
I did ask in one of my posts up above how i would go about getting money from my partner , would we sort it ourselves as we are together or would it be a maintenance claim through the jobcentre, i have not had any experience off that before so that is why i asked... i have no intention off commiting fraud. I was with my first partner when i had my little girl and hes now in america so i cant get a peeny from him, believe me id love it if he had to pay something.

3plus1, welshcakesand viccig thanks loads for your help, had some good advice x

Black-saturn i will give the make up idea ago i think, can also do the nails with it and i promise to declare all my money! Happy everyone :rolleyes: ...xx

Everyone alse thanks for chipping in with your ideas , appreciated.. Didnt realise my question would cause so much controversy though!

Tran

I guess you have several options once baby is born

(1) have a job that pays you enough to keep you off benefits then your own living arrangements and maintenance arrangements are your own business.

(2) stay as a single parent and put in a claim for IS/CTC that'll cover the new baby. You'll be asked to fill in the forms for the CSA to get involved in getting money off the father. If you sign the forms you'll get to keep £10ish of it, he'll pay a percentage of his wages to the CSA and you won't see any of it over and above £10. So therefore as a couple (and c'mon you may have different addresses on paper but from the little you have said it is obvious that you are a couple effectively living together), i.e. you will be WORSE off than now.

(3)stay as a single parent and put in a claim for IS/CTC that'll cover the new baby. You'll be asked to fill in the forms for the CSA to get involved in getting money off the father. If you refuse to fill in the forms and cite "good cause" you'll be interviewed to establish what your "good cause" is and then you *might* have it accepted. This would mean that your IS/CTC etc wouldn't be effected and the CSA wouldn't persue the father. However what you need to remember is that trying to cite "good cause" when there is none is FRAUD. Not to mention it would look more than slightly dodgy that the father lives down the street. If you are genuinely trying to cite "good cause" then wouldn't you be trying to move away to get away from him? This strategy is bound to fail. i.e. if you get away with it then you'll be better off but it is FRAUD.

(4) Be on benefits and sort out your own maintenance (as long as it is above CSA levels or else they will jsut get involved anyway). However you will need to declare this income which will massively affect your IS. i.e. worse off

(5) do (4) as deatiled above but don't declare the money. If you do this then it is FRAUD. i.e. better off but FRAUD

(6) You let him move in with you. You will lose your income support but *may* be better off with CTC/WTC etc etc. Certainally after the child is born you are more likely to be better off taking this approach (not to mention it is above board, legal and not taking the tax payer for a ride- minor issues it appears).i.e. potentially better off.

---

As a side issue, if I were in your shoes, then i'd be watching my back already. As I understand it you are on IS/CTC, boyfriend lives in the same street and has a mortgage there and is working. On paper you have different addresses but by your own admission earlier in the thread, if he isn't at your house then you are at his. That sounds like co-habiting. The fact that you are now pregnant with his child indicates you have a sexual relationship with him and are in a relationship. You have also said he helps you out (financially?) which shows a relationship. It certainally appears this way from what you have said. This already makes your CURRENT claim for IS look slightly suspect. You only need a "helpful" neighbour to pass this info on to the fraud dept. and you may be asked some very tricky questions NOW, nevermind once you have had his baby!!. Once you are heavily pregnant and/or baby no.2 arrives then it is going to be obvious what's going on. I'd be watching my back and thinking VERY carefully about my next move if i were in your shoes. Neighbours just love to dob other in when they think they are taking the taxpayer for a ride. You may say that you like your own freedom/independence/own money (i mean, who doesn't?) but why at the taxpayers expense? As an observer to this situation, you can see how this could EASILY happen.

Not meant to be offensive, just a reality check.

skintio

I havent said my partner helps out at all.. I stated that im sure he will help out when i was on about things that i will need for the baby, and saying im sure he will help out. I might be wrong but i didnt realise i had to declare it if he buys a pushchair or some clothes for our baby... We are totally financially separate, he doesnt pay any off my bills or any money for my daughter as she isnt his, he has his own mortgage (and his own set off bills etc) which he shares with his mother, looks like im going to have to go into detail again but his dad left his mum a while back and him and his mum decided to share a mortgage as it was the only way he could afford to buy, his mum is quite elderly and its nice shes not on her own, partly because he helps look after, she cant manage the stairs etc very well so he's always on hand to help out.. So as to you referring to me always either at his or vice versa i wasnt on about sleeping arrangements it was just a casual comment meant light heartedly as we only live 7 doors down from eachother.. As i said i like my independance and have never had any desire to live with him etc .. the only reason things have changed is because of the baby, and i am in no way trying to defraud anyone, i only wanted a rough idea off what id be entitled too as i have been wanting to go back to work when i finish college and obv the baby has changed matters. I love the fact because i have tried to get help people are assuming im going to commit fraud, and lie about everything! I just wanted a rough amount that was all, i am not even sure if il stay on benefits!
I am not going to lie to ss about him being the dad, hell be on the birth certificate so how could i try and defraud by saying for maintenance i have good reason for not claiming, i didnt even know you could do that.
My conscience is clear regarding my i.s claim at the moment , i have done nothing wrong, my partner may stay over at the weekend but he doesnt stay in the week, i never stay at his.. i receive no money from him. As for in the future i have stated in a post before things may change by the time the baby is born, this has been a huge surprise and there is alot to sort out, i.e his mortgage, the care of his mum and also are emotional feelings.

This isnt directed at just you, im just a bit fed up off explaining myself and having to justify my life, nobodys perfect and im sure everyones had there rough patches but believe it or not i have been doing my best to better myself and give my daughter a better life, i was really hurt emotionally and finacially by my ex ( daughters dad) and have taken things slowly with my partner and for everyone to jump to conclusions that we live togehter but dont etc really annoys me as it couldnt be further from the truth, and to be quite honest im surprised at the lack of understanding.

Anyway as i said before many thanks to everyone who posted giving advice , and to all of those who said congratulations x

Spendless

As a single parent if you work at least 16hours a week, you will be entitled to CTC and WTC and may get help with your childcare costs. Any maintainance you receive is not taken into account for tax credit purposes

www.entitledto.co.uk

I would also suggest doing mobile beauty therapy, you may even be able to run it from your house (eg clients come to you) but check with your council about thisas you may need permission.

Anthillmob

GeorginaAlexi wrote:

While you are pregnant you are entitled to 1 Healthy Start Voucher (£2.80) to use for milk, fruit and veg once you are 10 weeks. This will increase to 2 vouchers once baby is born and then reduce back to 1 after 1st year and continue until child is 4yrs. Get form from Doctors/JobCenterPlus

You can apply for a Sure Start Maternity Grant (£500 per baby) once you are 30/32 weeks. Get form from JobCenterPlus or download from benefits site.

Child Benefit for 2nd child is less than 1st child (£12ish)

Child Tax Credit is more in the first year than 2nd year- I couldn't advise amount as it varies but also if you go back to work then depending on hours per week you'll be elligable for working tax credit and if your employer is up to date- tax-free childcare vouchers.

also while on benefits you can train for free- so you could always do another level on your beautician course or branch out on to anextra skill.

hth

!!!!!! is a healthy start voucher???????? and why didnt i get one when i was pregnant or is that because i work?

and no that isnt a snipe at those who dont work. id just like to know why those who work dont get the same treatment when pregnant as those who are on benefits.




seriously im not having a pop here. just a little miffed.

skintio

Its a voucher worth £2.80 a week i think, for fruit and veg or milk. I think it depends on your income as to whether you get them or not, you also get them for your child/ren up till they are 4, i didnt realise you can get them whilst your pregnant.. they used to be only for milk but since the gov has been trying to introduce healthy eating they changed it, i think because people on low income have a worse diet and so its to get you eating more fruit and veg, and then your children obv.. i can understand why you are miffed, alot off things are unfair, my sis and bil both work and are just a few pounds over the limit to entitle them to get wtc, some might say fair but £2 or £3's over and you get no help...My sis is miffed cos they both work hard pay there taxes etc and always have yet some families still get help whilst contributing hardly anything, as she puts it alot of the system is wrong, so no offence taken x

skintio

That should say 'supposedly worse diet' according to the gov, not my opinion! x

BrandNewDay

Hey... I'm going to hijack your thread a second, here, and what I want to say is NOT to be taken personally by you....

skintio wrote:

....
also because hes not my little girls dad ive never wanted to put the pressure on him to move in (mind you if we're not at his he's here lol) and provide for us,

My husband is not the biological father of my oldest son, but it never occurred to me to ever feel sheepish about expecting him to support us. The biological father isn't in the picture, but I've married a lovely man who loves this little boy as his own. When our baby was born six weeks ago, someone congratulated him on becoming a father, and he was quick to say, "For the second time!" My husband works very hard so that I can stay at home with the boys. I wouldn't have married him (much less had his baby) if he had been any other way.

Some women with kids think they've got "baggage" they have to apologize for. I never felt that way. I assumed that any man who was lucky enough to marry me would be greatly priveleged to be a father to my little boy, and a surprising number of would-be suitors seemed to have agreed.

Don't sell yourself short!