Benefits - Please help – So Confused

siren13577

kooger21 wrote: »

So £18.80 a week child benifit and £20.96 child tax credit oh and im guessing we might get the £500 surestart grant?

As my partner wont be going back to work for about 10 months is there nothing else we can claim? working tax credit? JSA? etc

More advice please, thank you

Congratulations, unfortunately you won't get the surestart grant of £500 as you don't get income support and the higher amount of ctc. See here:
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/stellent/groups/jcp/documents/websitecontent/dev_012152.pdf
I hope this helps, good luck

msmicawber

I think you're worrying unnecessarily. £1,000 per month after utilities etc. have been paid is plenty of money for a couple and a baby. I manage to look after myself and two children with finances the other way round (ie paying out £1000 per month and only having the £350 left for food/clothes/spends/etc.) and don't feel particularly impoverished most of the time. Assuming your OH intends to work at some stage after the baby's birth, the situation wouldn't be for ever, presumably?

kooger21

Hi, my girlfriend will be looking for a job at the hospital after about 10 months, we obviously want to get everything we are entitled too, from my research she should be eligable for the maternity allowance, as she earns £48 a week and does pay a small amount of NI, still looking for confirmation of this though from other money saving experts please?

Thank You

dmg24

There is some really good (though quite long!) information here on maternity benefits.

With regard to Maternity Allowance, as she is earning more than £30 a week and has been working continuously (so covering the 26 required weeks) then she should qualify. She should receive 90% of her pay, so £43.20 a week, for up to 39 weeks.

MA is not as much as she would get on JSA, but I think it would be a lot less hassle to claim MA. However, the link above does confirm that you can claim JSA should she want to x

loulou_uk26

To be honest, people say babies arn't cheap- but I haven't really noticed the difference! If you have good family & friends im sure that you will jet loads of pressies when the baby is born- I asked diffrent people to buy things that I needed and to get clothes in different sizes- one person got me clothes in 1-2years! Which is great because I know that when the time comes I have a few outfits that will fit. Dont buy things you dont need- I brought loads of cot bedding and my lo is such a wriggler that I have to use a sleeping bag. So i now have flat sheets, blankets etc that im never going to use. Also, although I used one- a moses basket/crib really isn't nessasry (sorry about spelling!), and nappy disposale units- i was convinsed i would need one and use it- its now in the loft, where it has been since my lo was 2months old. Also, get things from nct nearly new sales, car boots, charity shops, ebay. Most of the stuff is good, but make sure you check things carefully. I think a baby bath is essental- but make sure you get one second hand, or look on freecycle because they are alot of money for something that doesnt last long. HTH