Benefits & Bargins help.. for young mum's who live in the UK

AnnabelsMummy

Mummy to princess annabel
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I've seen quite a few threads on here about benefits (i dunno if anybody has done one like this before), and what people are enititled to.. and my midwife has been really helpful, and the man at the job center today was quite helpful too, and i've been doing my homework.. so thought i'd share.. cause i really wish somebody had told me.. (i got all the numbers off a sheet i was given by the man in the job centre)
oh and i can check with people if their's anything i've missed!


- So from 10 weeks you can start claiming healthy start vouchers which should be £3.10 a week, and go up to £6.20 when the baby is born... they can be spent most places (eg. sainsbury's, tesco's) - you need to get your midwife to sign the form or your doctor.. and send off.. (you should deffiantly hear from them within about 2 weeks - usually with your vouchers)
for more information about the Healthy start vouchers, you can call - 08456101112
for more information about the healthy start (participating shops, you can call - 08456076823


- At 25 weeks (or a little bit after) the midwife should sign your £190 (health in pregnancy grant form - HIPG form)

- Then at 28 weeks you can claim Income support.. which you have to do over the phone and it's like £50ish - £60ish a week..
the numbers for that are..
Benefit enquiry line - 0800882200 (that's for more information mainly)
or the benefit claim line - 08000556688 (that's to make your claim)


for anybody at university or planning to start university with a baby... https://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/ssa/...uation/students/students_-_income_support.htm - this website should be able to help you see if you fit into the criteria for income support.

https://www.dsdni.gov.uk/fs_isr.pdf - that's the website which tells you how much you can claim from income support a week.. (which you can get from 28 weeks)

- then after they've said you'll qualify you can apply for the £500 - which is called the sure start maternity grant.. (which you can deffinatly get if you're on income support)..
(however if you're on a low income, they should still give it to you, but wait till after your baby is born - but not too long, you only have 3 months!!)
you'll also need that signed by the midwife, which you can get from 11 weeks before your baby is due - up till 3 months after your baby is born.. this is suposed to enable you be able to provide the things you need to provide for your baby...
the numbers for that are..
Benefit enquiry line - 0800882200 (that's for more information mainly)
or the benefit claim line - 08000556688 (that's to make your claim)


- You might also be entitled to maternity allowance (if you work),
Maternity Allowance pays a standard weekly rate of £124.88 or 90 per cent of your average gross weekly earnings (before tax), whichever is the smaller, they pay this for a maximum of 39 weeks.
The earliest you can get Maternity Allowance is from the 11th week before the week your baby's due. The latest you can get it is from the day following your child's birth.The number to ring for that would be - 08456088610

- Then once your bubba's born you obviously get child benefit and tax credits..
You need to be getting Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element, which is £1090 a year with a baby under 1 and £545 a year with a child over 1.. or if you're on income support you should also be entitled to it.. (most people should get this)
incase anybody needed the helpline it's
08453021444

- You can also get Milk tokens.. because even if you're breast feeding, you still need to drink alot of milk.. and if you're bottle feeding, you'll obviously have to buy the formula.. after your baby is born
for them you ring Milk Tokens Direct - 08701555455...

- Also while your pregnant, you get free dentist appointments, and prescriptions from the doctor and stuff... (not that that's amazing, but might be worth knowing, i dunno)

- If you're planning on going back to college or sixth form and are under 20 - you might be able to get care2learn, which is meant to help young mum's getting back into the education system, once they've had their babies - you'll need to find an OFSTED registard form of childcare.. if you do this, you would also be able to claim EMA (education mantainance allowance) - they'll pay up to £175 (in london) or £160 (outside london) a week.

-Also Ebay and Freegle, seem to be really good places to look for things for your babies, and alot of the stuff has hardly been used, as things have such a quick turn over rate with babies, BnB also have a swap and sell section - which is full of bargins too.... you could try outlet stores as well... keep your eyes peeled for sales, especially tesco's and asda as they have great baby events.

I can't think of any more for the minute, but if i find out any more information, i'll pop it here.. and if anybody else has anything to add, comment and i'll pop it in!! :)
i got all the numbers from the jobcenter.. they should be national numbers for England at least.
xxxx
 
The will pay the surestart grant to nearly everyone not just people on income support, if you aren't on income support wait until after your baby is born, claim tax credits then claim the surestart grant, I think probably 99% of the mums on here will be eligible, but remember you only have 3 months after LO is born!
 
i keep forgetting about the healthy start vouchers because it needs to be signed by the midwife :grr:.
 
Also once your baby is born make sure you apply for tax credits and child benefits :D
 
The will pay the surestart grant to nearly everyone not just people on income support, if you aren't on income support wait until after your baby is born, claim tax credits then claim the surestart grant, I think probably 99% of the mums on here will be eligible, but remember you only have 3 months after LO is born!

hehe.. i'll pop that in.. it says only people on a low income though, right? but i doubt many of us on here will have a really high income..? :shrug: (maybe i'm stereotyping!!)

Andd..
i'd deffo say get the healthy start vouchers - could always get some formula if you really don't know what to get.. even if you want to breast feed it's handy, just in case..
 
You need to be getting Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element, which I is £1090 a year with a baby under 1 and £545 a year with a child over 1, we earnt nearly £20,000 a couple of years ago, when I actually worked, and we still got this :D and that was with only 1 child
 


A note about the income support and a few other benefits - you do not get this is you are in 'Advanced Education'.
This means university.

I went to my benefits advisor and they told me this, so you should still pop along and make an appointment just in case :D

 


A note about the income support and a few other benefits - you do not get this is you are in 'Advanced Education'.
This means university.

I went to my benefits advisor and they told me this, so you should still pop along and make an appointment just in case :D


you can still get it..

try this website...

https://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/ssa/...uation/students/students_-_income_support.htm

but i think you might have to wait till the baby is born? but if you and OH aren't living together then you should be a loe perant with dependant under 10?
(sometimes the advisors can be a bit clueless..)
xxxx
 
and by the way.. that's the Social security (SS) website, so it's an offical one, not just a random one
xx
 
ahh thats really hlped me out!
thankyouu xx
 
You can get saftey equipment and stair gates from some sure starts :)


YOU CAN STILL GET THIS :happydance:
my nana got them for my cousin when she was born (she's 7 now_ but we thought they had stopped doing this ! I hope mine does !
I love the sure start centres

They used to give out free car seats and buggys too
 
Can you still get milk tokens? I thought it was replaced by the healthy start vouchers?

Great places to look for baby stuff: Gumtree or freecycle (Join your local freecycle yahoo group..everything on freecycle is 100% free but most of it has to be collected) and preloved is ok too but I'm not too keen on it.
 
For some reason even though Ive looked through the benefits section on the direct.gov site over and over again I somehow missed out the bit about income support. I was sure I couldn't get it at uni. But Ive looked over it and now Im doubting myself lol...so Im heading to the job center to double check! Thank for the thread! x
 
with child tax credits does anyone know how much you get?
iv looked on the website but find it confusing..i only live with my mum n she isnt working at the min if that helps?x
 

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