Maternity Leave/Universal Credit/Child Benefit/Council Tax?

dawnmorris

Hi forum,

Please allow me to explain our set up.

Myself, my partner who both 30+ and our 2 year old are in receipt of universal credit in our household.

My last day at work is Saturday 5 August 2023, week beginning at my work place start on a Sunday. So my maternity leave will start from Sunday 6 August 2023 and I think it is statutory maternity pay.

I work 35 hours per week, my partner stays at home and has been taking care of our current child since I went back to work after 9 months maternity leave.

Now that I have explained our set up, my question is when should I tell Universal Credit I am due to go on maternity and that our baby is due beginning of September 2023 and when should I tell child benefit? Do we need to tell council tax to see if we are entitled to a reduction as we currently pay the full amount. 

I appreciate all help and advice and thanks for taking the time to read my message.

Thank you, Dawn.

poppy12345

You should report the changes when you start maternity leave. You should also report the changes to your Local Authority and you maybe entitled to council tax reduction but you'll need to claim this.

Once the baby is born you'll need to report the changes to UC and child benefit. The extra child element will be included from the assessment period in which the baby is born.

If it's SMP you're claiming this this will be classed as earned income for UC. Any Income received during your assessment period will reduce your UC by 55% after the work allowance.

sheramber

Child benefit can be claimed the day after you register the birth

https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit/how-to-claim

dawnmorris

Thank you all to who replied but I am stuck and don’t know how to best answer this question on the screenshot. My last day at work was yesterday 5/8/23 and I get paid 25th of every month.

On the first question should I select yes or no, as isn’t SMP 90% of your wage for the first 6 weeks and then drops to SMP rate of £172.48 per week?

If you select yes for the first question you get these options on this screenshot below, but how do you know what to input if you don’t know what to fill?

Rubyroobs

I would answer yes as you are getting smp. You are going to be a lot worse off on UC with only smp coming in. Can your partner look for a temporary job whilst you are off and you switch to being main carer for the children?

poppy12345

If you're claiming SMP you tick yes to first box. If you're claiming SMA then you tick yes to the 2nd box.

huckster

Your partner may have Job Centre appointments booked in.  From 24/7/23 Job Centres now have to see main parent carers of 2 year old children once a month ( it was previously once every 3 months).  And when your current child turns 3, your partner could move to intensive work search and be required to attend appointments at least on a fortnightly basis.  From September 2023, for those in intensive work search,  the Government want minimum earnings of the equivalent of 18 hours per week at National Minimum wage.

dawnmorris

Rubyroobs said:

I would answer yes as you are getting smp. You are going to be a lot worse off on UC with only smp coming in. Can your partner look for a temporary job whilst you are off and you switch to being main carer for the children?

Thanks for replying to my message.

Ok and what do I enter in the box for the amount and frequency? How do we go about switching who is main carer too?

dawnmorris

poppy12345 said:

If you're claiming SMP you tick yes to first box. If you're claiming SMA then you tick yes to the 2nd box.

Thank you for replying to my message.

Ok and what do I enter in the box for the amount and frequency? 

poppy12345

You put down how often you will paid SMP. When my daughter was claiming it last year she used to receive it when she would have received her wages.. for her it was monthly.

dawnmorris

poppy12345 said:

You put down how often you will paid SMP. When my daughter was claiming it last year she used to receive it when she would have received her wages.. for her it was monthly.

Thanks again for replying back.

So for me should I put monthly and then £689.92? 4 weeks @ £172.48 SMP rate?