What can you claim whilst on maternity leave?

nat010904

Hey everyone,

Me and my fianc! are thinking about having our first baby but we want to be financially comfortable before doing so. We both work full time I am employed and my fianc! is self employed.

But we want to know what we can claim for to support us whilst I would be on maternity leave? (were a little clueless on benefits etc so all help would be very great full)

Thanks in advance.

ecoelle

Maternity pay max £128 a week i think
child benefit £20.30 per week once baby is born
working tax credits and child tax credits but amount depends on individual circumstances

i think they're the main ones

MoneySaver_x

You would get maternity pay from work and nothing else could be claimed until baby was born. Once child was born you would receive Child Benefit of 20.80 a week, and WTC/CTC dependant on income.

krisskross

Never plan having a child around possible benefit entitlements as these can change/vanish very quickly.

Before embarking on a pregnancy always ask yourselves if you can support yourselves and the child without state help. If the answer is no then perhaps you need to wait until your financial situation improves.

sulkisu

First of all, you need to ask your employers what they pay as maternity pay - e.g. is it the minimum or do they pay extra? How much does your partner earn per week? Then add the two together and work out if you can afford to live on that.