Maternity Grant

seven-day-weekend

I don't actually think people should have extra government money for having a baby unless they are VERY poor.

demonicangel

Also you can be quite a high earner, too much to get WTC and the grant for your first few children but can after say the third due to getting more then £547 or however much the family element is, you will be able to get it.

So if you get CTC and have more then one kid, you are very likely to get it!

india

!!!!!! wrote:

Maybe you should have considered the costs of having a baby before you decided to get pregnant?

I don't really think that's any of your business and you don't know that I didn't consider that when deciding to have a baby. All I asked was for people to look at the petition and sign it if they agree I didn't ask for your personal opinion.

I can afford my baby. I just personally think that the government concentrate and spend the majority of there money on single mothers whether that's right or wrong it is not for me to say. I also think that the sure start being offered to everyone wouldn't make anyone worst off.

Working for social services I have seen how lack of money can effect families and when I said this I wasn't talking about myself.

india

demonicangel wrote:

Quite a lot of people are entitled to it after the birth of a baby.

Also babies dont cost £1000s of pounds, they dont need everything and the also dont need the most expensive things.

Second hand is just as good, babies dont know the difference

I never said babies need everything or the most expensive things.
I agree second hand things are just as good. I myself have got some second hand things for my baby.

As I said I only asked for people to sign the petition if they agree. I didn't ask for your opinion.

All I'm saying is I thing the grant should be avaliable to all mothers or none at all. The money can be used for nappies, milk, clothes all these things do add up.

demonicangel

india wrote:

I never said babies need everything or the most expensive things.
I agree second hand things are just as good. I myself have got some second hand things for my baby.

As I said I only asked for people to sign the petition if they agree. I didn't ask for your opinion.

All I'm saying is I thing the grant should be avaliable to all mothers or none at all. The money can be used for nappies, milk, clothes all these things do add up.

So if the government decided to stop this money, then what would those on a benefits/very low income do? Yes it would be a good incentive to stop the scroungers having loads of kids to get free money but those that geniunly (sp) need it? Accidents do happen.

There was no need to jump on me for giving my opinion.

lottee

Fair play to you India. At the end of the day - if you don't ask you don't get. I am sick of being 'penalised' ( so to speak ) because we both work. As per an above poster, just because you don't work, it doesn't mean you are that much 'better off'. Especially after taking out your mortgage, council tax etc - well no one else is going to pay it are they. Count me in on that one.

charlotteS_2

Our money problems started when I was signed off work on long term sick leave. I only received SSP, already received a small amount of tax credits and because my partner worked we did not qualify for any benefits. He earns about £15000 a year. We had just bought a house and taken out a loan at the same time and were having to use credit cards to pay for things like the food shopping as had no other means of paying for it. We begged the bank to help us and we are now in the process of complaining through the financial ombudsman as we feel that the loan was missold to us.
I am now back at work but can only work part time due to my health. If we wait until we are stree free money wise, to have a another child we will never have one.
At the same time as I was off sick the tax credit people messed up my claim and we now owe them money. I have challenged it with them and have had the amount reduced but not by much.I wrote to the Prime Minister and local mp to explain our situation but that has been no help.

Before I met my partner I lived in a Housing Association Property with my son. I had put myself through a university course so that I was able to get a better job and support us. After the course I got a job staright away and although I worked I was on a low wage so received some benefits. When my partner moved in I became remarkably worse off financially even though we were both working full time.I was better off on benefits.

I agree that benefits can't just be given out to anyone but it really feels that for people who want to make a good go of things and have a happy life, there is no help for them from the government.

We are planning a 'cheap' wedding at the moment and are talking about having a baby because we are sick and tired of having to put our lives on hold. Things will be tight financially but we will make sure the bills are paid, that the children don't go without anything and we will manage and we will be happy!

lottee

!!!!!! wrote:

Maybe you should have considered the costs of having a baby before you decided to get pregnant?

I don't think the OP is complaining about the cost of having a baby, just simply stating her personal opinion & IMO a harsh fact of life - this being if you are a couple & both work - hence earning over a certain amount, then you are not entitled to any help. Bearing in mind that if you both work, it is for a good reason - to pay bills/mortgage/etc, as if you're not entitled to this, you're probably not entitled to anything else either...
Another thing that p!sses me off is the child trust fund - oh sure, send my son a cheque for £250, but 'low income' families get double that. Shocking. The money is for the child, not the parents, so why should they base the amount on the family income? Oh well, that's life, life isn't fair, blah blah blah!

Anthillmob

india wrote:

I recently found out that I'm not entilted to the sure start maternity grant because I'm not on the higher rate WFTC.

I've started a petition to the prime minister stating I think the grant should be avaliable too all mother regardless of earning because have a baby is expensive.

I've read a few post on this website and think there are a few people that will agree with me.

If you agree can you please click on the link and sign the petition.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/MaternityGrant

Thank you

well ive signed it. i wish i could have gotten it, i was misinformed when i had chops about not being eligible for the grant and was then out of time when i did apply. so i dont know if i ever would have gotten it. maybe i would have maybe i wouldnt.

it was my understanding though that if you got child tax credit that you would qualify for the SSMG.

why should people who dont work be paid £500 a time for having a baby? wheres the incentive to work eh when you could just sit on your !!!! and spew forth baby after baby because you know the government will pay you to have a baby and then pay for its upkeep.

it should be available to anyone regardless of what they do or dont do for a living like child tax credits and child benefit are.

Anthillmob

and to whoever said babies arent expensive. erm yes they are.

when you add up what you need to buy, pram/pushchair, cot or crib or moses basket, steriliser if not breast feeding, bottles, clothes, etc etc it all mounts up.

we were lucky that we had family members buy stuff for chops before she was born. we were also lucky to get some second hand gear like her cot for example and also the 'family crib' (its been used by all 3 of my nephews the eldest of who is 11), but you still have to buy new bedding and new mattresses for each because you dont let a baby sleep on a second hand mattress. you just dont.

if anyone is struggling then ebay is your friend. ive got loads of clothes for chops on ebay (and im selling loads on there also at the moment and over the coming weeks. pm for details) but with a newborn you really want new stuff. i know i did. i had some hand me downs but most of it was new.