Benefit Advice - Pregnancy

blondefeathers

Please could someone try help me as I am getting conflicting messages and am stuck......

I get ESA Income related and DLA Mobility. I am 35 weeks pregnant, am I supposed to be claiming something else for being pregnant? Or is ESA the max I can get regardless, I really don't want to be missing out on anything when things are so tight anyway. A friend said I should be claiming MA or something but I thought that was for working only and I havent worked for over a year now.

Any help would be more than very greatfully appriciated!!

PippaGirl_2

You can switch to Income Support now (eligibility is from 29 weeks pregnant).

nannytone_2

isnt the childs father helping to support you?

Chrissiew

If its your first baby you can claim a sure start grant of £500.

Morlock

You won't be entitled to any more money until the baby is born, then you can claim child tax credit and child benefit.

rogerblack

ESA is at a higher rate than IS, so it's probably not a good idea to go down this route.
Though IS would give you certainty, as single parents with children under 5 are not expected to work, and avoid ESA qualification.
HOWEVER!!!!!
The qualifying age for a child keeps dropping - it's not completely beyond the realms of possibility that it may drop below 5 in the next years.

sleepless_saver

PippaGirl wrote: »

You can switch to Income Support now (eligibility is from 29 weeks pregnant).

OP hasn't said if they are a lone parent or not.

PippaGirl_2

sleepless_saver wrote: »

OP hasn't said if they are a lone parent or not.

She's currently eligible for income related ESA so is not supported by a partner.

rogerblack

PippaGirl wrote: »

She's currently eligible for income related ESA so is not supported by a partner.

She's not got a working partner.
You can be entitled to IR-ESA, if you live with someone who works.
This would remove entitlement to IS.
(assuming they can work).

SandA

What everyone else has said and you can apply for Healthy Start, i believe its tokens for fruit and veg? and milk tokens once baby is born. Definitely worth applying.

mikey_bach

On I.S if entitled, OP would get the Disability Premium as well