Can i get help if i leave work to look after baby?

Rachlou

Hey, i hope i am not prejudged by my decisions.
I have a 6 month old baby. I am a single parent with no family around me. I am currently on maternity leave and am due to return to work in May. I currently receive stat maternity pay, as well as housing benefit, child benefit, csa, work and child tax credits. I dont want to return to work in May. I want to be a stay at home mum and bring my daughter up until shes old enough to go to school or nursery. I dont want to put her in any child care simply because i just dont trust anyone regardless of what their reputation is. When im due to return to work, im assuming all my benefits will stop - as when i filled out the forms, i told them i was employed and am only on maternity leave. Could i leave my job and stay at home and receive benefits? Even as i write this i know it sounds awful as i myself cant stand lazy people who dont want to go to work, but thats not the case, i do want to work, just when my daughter is a bit older. Would i be enitiled to help? My maternity pay will end in April/May. I also privatly rent, so i need to make sure i can still get housing benefit. Where do i stand?

pmlindyloo

You can apply for Income Support as your daughter is under 5 years old.

This is means tested. You would still be entitled HB, CTB, CB, CTC and Child Support.

When you stop receiving your SMP you can apply for the Income Support.

Do not forget to notify all benefit departments of your change in circumstances.

Also do not forget to notify your employer that you will not be reurning to work.

I'll try and find a link regarding this.

Here you go: http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/work_e/work_time_off_work_e/maternity_leave.htm

Rachlou

Il be entitled even though i gave my job up? If i tell my employer i wont be returning, they can stop my stat mat pay cant they?

pmlindyloo

Rachlou wrote: »

Il be entitled even though i gave my job up? If i tell my employer i wont be returning, they can stop my stat mat pay cant they?

Have a read of the link I gave you about not going back to work.

Plus, have a read of this:

http://www.mumsnet.com/family-money/universal-credit

Universal credit is the new benefit system and will affect line parents. According to this, lone parents will be required to sign a job seeking agreement after their child turns one year old.

Am not completely up to date with the introduction of Univerals credit but hopefully someone will come along who knows more about the effect on single parents.

loulou1980_2

Hi, was just having a flick through and saw your post.

I'm not sure on all the legislation and such, but I just wanted to say that it's best to ignore any negative comments about situations like yours (if you get any on here or from anyone else). I stayed at home with my eldest until she started school (different situation as I was married) and then with my youngest until he started school (have recently divorced and started self-employment, so am a single mam myself - and bloody hard work it is too!). I truly believe that this is the best decision you could make. It sickens me that our society values money over the wellbeing of children. I'm sure that some children must flourish in childcare and it is really down to their mother to make the decision on whether to return to work or not. However, as a Child Psychology student, there is a lot of evidence that being at home with mam / dad / or even a loving auntie / nanna / grandad is the best for babies and small children. I used to work in a children's centre and it was not nice to see the babies being dropped off early on a morning and still there when I left to go home. Ignore anyone who belittles your decision or tries to make you feel bad about it. You have worked, and you will work again. Enjoy the precious time with your little one - it really does go sooo fast.

Lou x

loulou1980_2

Oh and btw, staying at home and looking after little ones is about as far from "lazy" as you could get - it is hard work, yes, WORK - raising the next generation! I too can't abide laziness in others, but my attitude to anyone who would regard me as "lazy" for the years I was out of the workplace was always "come and do my job for a week and see just how shattered you are at the end of it"!

I would recommend though that you "keep your hand in" with something - I did loads of courses through Sure Start when mine were tinies and now have lots of qualifications (and made some great friends), also a couple of NVQs and a third of the way through a degree with the OU (you can fit this around bairns). A bit of volunteer work never goes amiss either, perhaps something worth doing when your bairn starts nursery part-time (I was on every committee going lol).

I know it's very hard to trust people with our precious babies, but remember that you sometimes need a break, even if just for a couple of hours (especially once they start turning the house upside down, drawing on the walls, etc. haha).

Lou x

baza52

Rachlou wrote: »

Hey, i hope i am not prejudged by my decisions.
I have a 6 month old baby. I am a single parent with no family around me. I am currently on maternity leave and am due to return to work in May. I currently receive stat maternity pay, as well as housing benefit, child benefit, csa, work and child tax credits. I dont want to return to work in May. I want to be a stay at home mum and bring my daughter up until shes old enough to go to school or nursery. I dont want to put her in any child care simply because i just dont trust anyone regardless of what their reputation is. When im due to return to work, im assuming all my benefits will stop - as when i filled out the forms, i told them i was employed and am only on maternity leave. Could i leave my job and stay at home and receive benefits? Even as i write this i know it sounds awful as i myself cant stand lazy people who dont want to go to work, but thats not the case, i do want to work, just when my daughter is a bit older. Would i be enitiled to help? My maternity pay will end in April/May. I also privatly rent, so i need to make sure i can still get housing benefit. Where do i stand?

You will have to start trusting people when she starts school.

loulou1980_2

Yes the OP will have to trust teachers etc. when her little one starts school, and that is not easy either. But at least most children starting school are capable of letting their caregiver know if there is anything untoward going on at school. A small baby or toddler is not. That's how people like that twisted evil **** Vanessa George got away with doing what she did for a long while. Babies and tots can't let anyone know if someone is hurting them.

It never ceases to amaze me that most people would not leave a million pounds (if they were lucky enough to have it) with a virtual stranger to look after, but can't understand why a parent would feel uncomfortable (or refuse to) leave a baby with, in many cases, a virtual stranger. Who often (and I have seen this first hand, on many occasions) are more concerned with chatting about who they copped off with on Saturday night / who won the X Factor, than providing even a basic level of care and emotional nurturing to their tiny charges. I wouldn't leave a pet stick insect in some of the places I have been into (although I have also seen some great childcare providers too).

Lou x

MissMoneypenny

loulou1980 wrote: »

It never ceases to amaze me that most people would not leave a million pounds (if they were lucky enough to have it) with a virtual stranger to look after,

But they would leave their million pounds with a stranger: at a bank (or with several banks in they want to be safe).

Day centres and childcarers are checked by OFSTED. It's the parents' and "loving" relatives that aren't checked.

As said, welfare is being reformed and Universal Credit; with all it's condidtions; will replace the working age, income based benefits: Tax Credits; Income Support; income based JSA; income based ESA; housing - the welfare payments that Rachlou will be wanting to claim if she stays at home.

Under UC, it's not just a case anymore of staying at home with the child until they start school and getting welfare paid into your account. OP might want to read up what she will be expected to do under Universal Credit and when she is likely to be moved to UC.

ILW

Any reason why the father cannot support you and his child?

xylophone

Any reason why the father cannot support you and his child?

He seems to be doing so?

I currently receive stat maternity pay, as well as housing benefit, child benefit, csa, work and child tax credits.