Entitled to benefits during maternity?

cte1111

If your husband works for 26 weeks (this could be self employed, look on Up your Income boards for ideas) and earns £390 over 13 weeks, then you would be able to effectively share your maternity leave. This would mean that you could take some time off, then return to work and your husband would be paid Parental leave instead.

https://www.gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay/overview

You could therefore take maternity leave for 3-4 months, using your savings to cover the gap in earnings. For the first 6 weeks, you will be receiving 90% of your usual earnings, meaning only 6-10 weeks on Statutory Maternity Pay.

When your husband finishes his course, you could then return to work and he would receive Statutory Shared Parental Pay. (Think this is correct, bit tricky to be sure but worth looking at.)
http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4911

Sncjw

Is the 65k before or after tax.

Cut out your gym subscription. Check if your phone contract is right for you maybe get a sim only contract if ended.
Do a check on gas and electricity like
Martin Lewis does

In regards to food maybe go down a range like premium to branded or branded to own range. Or shop at Aldi or lidl.

Use vouchers in shops. Write a list of things you actually need.

Got to remember you need money to buy basics for child like cor and pram. Also clothes as you get bigger.

See if you can rent anywhere cheaper.

You say you pay for childcare but could family or friends help.

See f you can reduce transport costs why is it so high.

Maybe have a clear out of your stuff in the house and sell it on local Facebook pages.

Only get stuff you actually need or house needs

UntilIAmInGlory

65k is before tax. Thanks for all ideas. After initial shock I've calmed down. Mum has agreed we could move in with her and pay the bills in place of rent (she has lodgers so she will need to give them notice for us to move in)

So we will save on rent and not need to move out of London.

So far I've got my expenses almost complete. Called sky and cut my subscription from 32£ to 17£ including Line rental and broadband!. So canceling tv licence. Canceling gym subscriptions. Husband buying a bicycle to save on transport fare. Having trouble seeing how we can cut on feeding. Currently 400pcm for 3 of us including baby stuff like nappies etc. Selling mobiles and putting cash in savings to pay for subscription fee. While second mobile can be swapped to PAYG.

So far only income for us will be 600£ from statutory pay and child benefit for subsequent year.
I wnat to take maternity so I can stay home and breastfeed for the recommended 6 months.

Unfortunately being a student has additional costs as well as unforseen costs that we need to save for. We will try and save additional cash until due date.

Compiling soa.

haras_nosirrah

It is tough when the female is the main earner. I know as I am and currently have a 3 and a half year old and a 5 week old and my part time salary is double my husbands full time

My first I went back to work after 6 weeks part time as we failed to plan well enough and could not afford for me to be off. I ended up with pnd as a result

This time we planned ahead, saved and I am taking 6 months off.

Op the reality is your income is too high for benefits so it is all on you. The only thing you can do is cut your expenses to the bone. I buy baby clothes and equipment 2nd hand off eBay and Facebook - the only things not second hand are car seat and cot mattress.

Food for 3 of us I have got to 40-50 a week by shopping at Lidl and cooking everything from scratch

I do mystery shopping while off which pays a little bit (did one today which was £15 to talk to a chugger in a shop to check they were saying all the mandatory statements and not being too pushy)

Gym membership has been paused and I walk everywhere with the pram unless over 5 miles away

The time to start making the changes is now - you need to cut any unnecessary expenditure e.g food budget (slow cookers are brilliant) no takeaways, entertainment, house stuff - all needs to be knocked to the minimum and save save save to get to the 6 months off you want. Essentially you need to make the sacrifice now or you sacrifice time with your newborn later - your choice

Sncjw

Maybe on the second mobile that you could do sim only deals.

Also u would check the bills for your mothers as increase of people can cause increase of bills.

Do a gas and electricity check with your mam to see if hers can be lowered

GwylimT

UntilIAmInGlory wrote: »

Rent: 1600£
House bills: £420
Personal bills: £180 (mobile, gym..)
Transport: £400
House food tesco shoping: £400


Extra 400 for baby clothes, entertainment, buying house and personal stuff etc.

I.e no money left over.. I cook food at home to take to work currently and not even saving for holidays etc. Husband takes care of baby while studying cause we cannot afford childcare.

..

So wheres all the other money you're not spending?

£3000 per month is £36k per year, as your take home pay is £45k you should have some hefty savings.

Why are you spending £400 a month on baby clothes.

PoorCharleyBear

And add to the basic maternity leave all your holiday- OK no holiday for the rest of the year, but it stretches the maternity leave out.

GwylimT

UntilIAmInGlory wrote: »

Other half not receiving student loan due to my income. Since he's married it is means tested. Non means tested part have now changed and it is no longer "intrest free" So we used savings to pay.

It has never been interest free, to say he isn't receiving a loan due to your income is false.

UntilIAmInGlory

When I say interest free (in quotes) I me at that the loan I took out while at uni was linked to rpi. So in essence it's intrest free. But the current loans have a markup so it's no longer "interest free"

As I also mentioned the 65k is before tax. I get just under £3400 after student loan payments.

UntilIAmInGlory

Before tax not after tax. 65k gross. So £3400 . Student loan payments for me is about £400.

And 400£ is not just baby clothes- baby stuff, entertainment, household stuff, extra small savings for anything that crops up during the month. For instance in the last month we had to fix the oven, we went to the cinema together, we went to a friends wedding and had to take the train/ taxi there, gave some money to charity, ordered pizza for a night in once, bought a lawnmower etc