Pregnant with a new job

pmlindyloo

The first thing you need to do is check whether you are eligible for Maternity Allowance if you are not eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay.

Check here:

https://www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance

You can apply for Maternity Allowance if you are eligible and also apply for Universal Credit to 'top up' your income. Your maternity allowance would be deducted from your UC £1 for £1.

Universal Credit will include housing costs (the old housing benefit) and you would be eligible for the two bed local housing allowance rate - you can check the amount on your local council website (maybe the one bed rate until baby is born - not sure about that)

Once baby is born then a child element would be added to your UC and, of course, you can apply for child benefit.

Once you are back to work you may also want to explore claiming for childcare costs (80% of this is available under UC.) of course this will depend on your earnings.

You may wish to visit CAB and ask for a benefit check up as regards your situation.

Under UC you can pay off debts as you have already talked about and this is not counted as deprivation of capital. You will need some of your savings to find a rented property and pay the first month's rent and the deposit.

You may also be eligible for some help with the baby - will have to do some research as regards UC.

Good luck with it all.

PS> If you are eligible for Maternity Allowance then a benefits calculator could be used - https://www.entitledto.co.uk - if you can find the projected amount of rent for a suitable property - this would give you a good idea of what you would receive.

pmlindyloo

A useful link for other financial help:

https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/benefits-and-entitlements-to-claim-when-you-have-a-baby

Alter_ego

Is the canal boat really out of the question? I lived on a boat 17yrs and never got electrocuted or drowned. Or is the issue lack of elec and water?

xylophone

https://www.gingerbread.org.uk/

https://www.nct.org.uk/

May be worth the OP's having a look at the above?

snapdoodle

JamoLew wrote: »

Slightly off topic...but

The father has a right to know as does the child to have their fathers name on their birth certificate

Take your wooden spoon somewhere else!

Comms69

snapdoodle wrote: »

Take your wooden spoon somewhere else!

I don't see the issue you seem to have.


A child has the right to know both parents

xylophone

http://www.childsupportlaws.co.uk/law-single-mothers.html

snapdoodle

Comms69 wrote: »

I don't see the issue you seem to have.

A child has the right to know both parents

Where did I mention anything about the child's father? I didn't. Time to jump off your high horse!

Lioness_Twinkletoes

First thought I had was that you need to use a chunk of your savings to provide a roof over your and your child's head. No ifs or buts with that. Your idea of sleeping on the floor with your newborn in a studio flat is frankly ridiculous.

You're unlikely to get Council Housing and you have the wherewithal to pay a deposit and rent. When you've exhausted your savings you'll have to go back to work or claim benefits.

MunchOff

pmlindyloo wrote: »

A useful link for other financial help:

I understand all of your two posts, it's super concise and I've gone through the 2nd post link and following it already, you brilliant person, thank you. I really really needed this. Thank you.