Benefits

richtips86

Hi All,

My wife and I will shortly be first time parents. I've been trawling the internet to find out what benefits we'll be entitled to and whilst I think I've worked it out (just child benefit), thought I would ask here too in case I'd missed anything obvious. Our joint income is £57k (me 42, her 15) .

Is there anything else out there that I've not spotted?

Cheers for any help or feedback

Caz3121

sounds about right. Child benefit of around £20 per week.
The cutoff for child tax credits with one child is around £26k income

SaLoGo

You earn £57k and you're asking what benefits you can claim?! Seriously?!

GwylimT

When you use childacare you can pay via vouchers from your employer, this is deducted before tax, therefore slightly reducing your tax bill.

Depending on your county you can sign up to receive one free book per month, there is the boots baby club that comes with goodies and very good offers.

richtips86

GwylimT wrote: »

When you use childacare you can pay via vouchers from your employer, this is deducted before tax, therefore slightly reducing your tax bill.

Depending on your county you can sign up to receive one free book per month, there is the boots baby club that comes with goodies and very good offers.

Yes, I've looked at the salary sacrifice vouchers, although haven't really investigated it so far as I assumed it was a bit too early. And yes, the boots baby club is very good!

Thanks

richtips86

SaLoGo wrote: »

You earn £57k and you're asking what benefits you can claim?! Seriously?!

Of course, we'll be working until we're 80 (probably) and have never taken anything out of the system apart from driving on the roads and my comprehensive education, so why not claim what we can?

homeisthecalm

OP, please don't listen to the foolish nonsense about claiming when you're earning a reasonable salary. Depending on your location, it really may not stretch that far at all. Not to mention all the cash you've put into the system over the years.

You'll be entitled to £20.50 a week Child Benefit. It is to my understanding that until recently, you could claim CTC, but you'd end up paying more back in tax.

As previously said, Boots parenting club are really good, and shop around for baby whipe deals etc. They can sometimes be a bit hit and miss with sending out the coupon entitlement, though

kingfisherblue

richtips86 wrote: »

Of course, we'll be working until we're 80 (probably) and have never taken anything out of the system apart from driving on the roads and my comprehensive education, so why not claim what we can?

Why will you be working until you're 80? I know retirement age might rise again, but I doubt if it will be that high. Or have you taken out a mortgage over such a long period that you'll be working to pay it off? Is it even possible to get a mortgage over so many years?

SaLoGo

richtips86 wrote: »

Of course, we'll be working until we're 80 (probably) and have never taken anything out of the system apart from driving on the roads and my comprehensive education, so why not claim what we can?

I quite agree... if you're entitled to it then claim it!

I apologise for my unintended abrupt comment, it just staggers me that a family bringing in that kind of income would need to consider claiming benefits.

I do hope you don't have to work until you're 80!

richtips86

kingfisherblue wrote: »

Why will you be working until you're 80? I know retirement age might rise again, but I doubt if it will be that high. Or have you taken out a mortgage over such a long period that you'll be working to pay it off? Is it even possible to get a mortgage over so many years?

Apologies for my sense of humour, I was being facetious

kingfisherblue

Oops, sorry. I thought you were being serious. Glad to hear you're not