Help during maternity leave?

Orville

haras_nosirrah wrote: »

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4764841/Why-work.html

And this is who my husband and I are working to support - great eh.

I have worked out factoring in tax/ NI and council tax they are on a 25k annual income - about the same as my husbands full time income and my maternity leave yet our mortgage is £1050 and their rent is £625 so we are instantly £5100 a year WORSE off than they are if I were on maternity leave.

You see i am not like that, i am working, yes not full-time but am making the effort to look for further work and also go back to college to get an even better job. As FBaby said, hopefully universal credit will sort this.

haras_nosirrah

Dunroamin wrote: »

It already is a percentage for the first four months!

No - It's 90% for 6 weeks (from when you go on maternity which I did at 38 weeks pregnant) and then £124 a week until 9 months.

Some employers offer enhanced maternity that pay more - mine didn't. The above is statutory minimum and is regardless of your earnings.

Dunroamin

haras_nosirrah wrote: »

No - It's 90% for 6 weeks (from when you go on maternity which I did at 38 weeks pregnant) and then £124 a week until 9 months.

Sorry, I was referring to the OP's maternity leave pay, not SMP. I certainly don't think that the state should pay a high percentage of salary for six months.

Sparkles87

SMP is £135.45 a week, not £124 as previously stated

BottomRung

Hi All

Sorry been away from keyboard all weekend. Didn't mean to start an argument so I apologise. I was off work Friday afternoon so wasn't abusing my work internet. Thank you for all the advice and help, it seems we will have to stretch a little more in the coming months, which is OK as it'll be worth it in the long run. We left having a baby as long as possible so we could hopefully be in a good position to support it but as prices have skyrocketed and wages haven't we aren't in too good a position. If we left it any longer there is a high chance we would be left childless which is utterly unthinkable. We wanted a home we owned and secure jobs before we commited so it has taken a long time to get to where we are. I was never asking for a handout and was just trying to fathom if we would get any assistance from the taxes we've paid for the last 25 years so to make out we are looking for someone else to pay for our baby is disgusting to be honest. All we were looking at is our options so we can at least plan whats going to happen.

Thanks for the help.

debrag

haras_nosirrah wrote: »

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4764841/Why-work.html

And this is who my husband and I are working to support - great eh.

I have worked out factoring in tax/ NI and council tax they are on a 25k annual income - about the same as my husbands full time income and my maternity leave yet our mortgage is £1050 and their rent is £625 so we are instantly £5100 a year WORSE off than they are if I were on maternity leave.

Clearly they don't sang to work so shouldn't be getting JSA!!

BottomRung

notanewuser wrote: »

At £21k and £28k you're not even on double the national average salary between you.

I was talking in relation to benefits, not the real world. The national average includes people on fantasy wages such a footballers etc so it's hardly an average is it...

AimeesMum_2

Sorry, I know this is off the OP's topic...but I am really confused at how that couple can even claim JSA and have not been sanctioned considering he had a job offer and wouldn't take it.

I thought that it was difficult to claim as a job seeker if you weren't bending over backwards looking for a job?

x

SandraScarlett

BottomRung wrote: »

HI All

My gf is pregnant and due end of July. We both work full time with me earning 21,000 and her earning 28,000 p.a., which sounds a lot but we live in a very expensive part of the country. gf is intending to take 9 months maternity leave with maternity pay 75% first 2 months, 50% second 2 months, 25% next 2 months then statutary from there on. We have a mortgage and bills to pay which I will not be able to afford on my income alone and work long hours anyway so no chance of a second job. My concern is that we will sink fast with just a portion of our income to live on and i'm getting increasingly worried that it is going to go horribly wrong. Is there any sort of benefits or help we can get to try and keep us afloat through this period or are we doomed?

Any advice would be appreciated as I really can't seem to enjoy what should be an exciting part of my life because of all the worry.

Hi OP. It is an exciting time for you and your girlfriend, and finances are just one part of it, but with some forward planning, needn't be the main thing in your lives.

Every parent wants the best for their child, but in order to avoid massive debts, you just need to sort out the difference between your wants and needs, as many other people on here have suggested.

Alas the tax system doesn't work on the basis of "you've paid in £50,000 between you for the last 20 years, so you can draw out £10,000 a year for the next 5 years". If only! It may well be that your girlfriend will have to return to work, part time, earlier than you both would like, but far better to do that, than to get yourselves into debt.

I wish you both every happiness for this exciting milestone in your lives. :beer:

xx

cte1111

I think most prospective parents worry about how they will manage financially when the baby comes, it's part of the process of preparing for the huge, but wonderful, responsibility of becoming a parent. I remember reading in a pregnancy book that it is usually one of the first thoughts that comes into a man's head on learning his partner is pregnant, will I be able to provide for them?

Everyone manages in the end, one way or another. As others have said, saving every bit you can during the pregnancy is the best way to get through the maternity pay period.