Single Mother - help!

Alice_Holt

Ilona wrote: »

Ignore Sandra. He/she has three user names and intent on disrupting the forum. Has been reported.

ilona

Also reported.

Would you mind sharing the other user names, so we can be forewarned.

elsien

The previous ones are PPRd at the moment. And there's more than three. Or two people pretending to be one, or vice versa. And a flounce. Best ignored anyway.

Ineededaname

calcotti wrote: »

The minimum maternity pay you will get is Statutory Maternity Pay if you have worked for your employer for long enough https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/pay.

If you have a low income you can apply for Universal Credit to top up your SMP. This is calculated on a monthly basis so the fact that you have a good wage when working doesn’t matter.

After your baby is born your UC will consist of the basic allowance £317.82/month if you are 25 or older) plus a child element (£231.67/month), also plus help with rent if applicable. If you are receiving SMP at £145.18/week 63% of this is deducted from yourUC entitlement, this is a deduction of £396.34/month. Your UC would therefore be 317.82 + 231.67 - 396.34 = £153.15/month. You do not get extra money to help with your mortgage.

Unfortunately single parents are not well served by the benefits system. Good luck and I hope your pregnancy goes well.

Don't forget the work allowance for being resposible for a child. £198 of earnings are ignored if you claim housing costs, £409 of earnings are ignored if you have no housing costs.

poppy12345

Ilona wrote: »

Ignore Sandra. He/she has three user names and intent on disrupting the forum. Has been reported.

ilona

I have also reported that OP.

Afraid_of_Kittens

For benefits purposes any maintenance received from the Father is disregarded as income.

You should also get help via Tax Credits towards any child care costs.

calcotti

Afraid_of_Kittens wrote: »

For benefits purposes any maintenance received from the Father is disregarded as income.

You should also get help via Tax Credits towards any child care costs.

With full UC rollout it will not be possible to claim Tax Credits. To the best of my knowledge UC is now full service throughout the UK.

However you are right to mention childcare costs as I didn’t include this in my earlier posts. You can get help with childcare costs through Universal Credit but you only get this in arrears. Full information included here https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/benefits/universal-credit/on-universal-credit/check-how-much-universal-credit-youll-get/

trailingspouse

Lots of good advice re benefits etc. I would just like to add, as you are currently in a well-paid job, that it makes sense to start saving. Like mad.

And start making contacts with local organisations/online services that offer free/cheap baby stuffl Also - you don't actually need most of the stuff that the manufacturers say that you need - shop smart.
And find new friends with babies 6-12 months older than yours will be - they give you their hand-me-downs, out-grown toys etc.

cantcope

i saved like mad my whole pregnancy so that i could take 12 months off. i got 10 weeks of the smp topped up at the start of my maternity leave. it was difficult but definitely worth it.

i was married at the time but my husband (now ex) was contributing to the household as he was clearing a never ending pile of debt so might as well have been single. the only difference being that because i was married i wasn't entitled to any other benefits until i divorced him 3 years later lol

there is much more help regarding childcare now too. I didnt get help until my son was 3 but i think you can get it at age 2 now?

Dont get hung up on buying everything new either. when they are small they wear clothes a few times before they dont fit so second hand is generally almost new anyway. Cots and prams dont tend to wear either so lots of money can be saved there.

Good luck x