Benefits - which one do you start with?!!!

[McLovin]

Any one else having a complete break down about benifits?

All of them seem to depend on wether or not you claim another one already...... which doesn't help?!

Apologies for the dramatics ladies but I am soooo confused.
Just spent half an hour on the phone with a lady and ended up being told to down load the SF100 form...... which is only for the sure start grant...... and you need to know what benefits you're entitled to for it?!

I DONT KNOW WHAT I'M ENTITLED TO - IF I DID, I WOULDN'T BE ON THE ENTITLED TO WEBSITE NOW WOULD I SILLY

And there is this website called entitledto.co.uk or something alike......... which asks you what you're already claiming....... duh?!


Thing is, I do currently work, and will be getting statutory maternity pay.... but that is £123 per week - which will not even nearly cover my rent.... which is why I need to be extra organised on the money side of things.

Are there any accountant type people here who know all of the info - and if I can set up future claims for anything so that it's all ready by the time my baby comes?


I have posted in the finance section before, but I don't think anyone actually goes in there (if they do, they don't respond)

 

[purpledahlia]

If your getting Maternity then you wont get JSA or IS.. which means u wont get the sure start.. its shitty. once the baby is here you will get tax credits and child benefit untill your maternity finishes then if you choose to not go back to work you can get IS. In total those three come to around 130 a week, you can get the HIP grant tho. Im not sure if you can get working tax credits if your on maternity.. possibly..??

 

[precious-gift]

hey iv just applied for everything in the past few weeks, start with child benefit (you get the application in hospital), as most others will ask for child benefit number. It took less than 2 weeks for me to get that back. I then applied for tax credits, you need to phone up for the application form, i recieved my first payment 2 weeks ago, so got both within 4 weeks.

As for sure start maternity grant, i work and im on statutory maternity pay and i applied for this grant and got it(depends on your income, think it is less than 16,000). I applied a couple of weeks ago and have recieved that payment to.

Just waiting for csa now! I was also worried about money, as i thought it would take ages, i would just make sure you put enough money aside for say 6-8 weeks after the birth x

 

[purpledahlia]

yeah you can get it once the baby is born and your on mat pay and your earning less but befor the baby is born you have to be on income based job seekers or income support, x

 

[bloodbinds]

You can claim the sure start maternity grant after you give birth if you have a high amount of child tax credits (i think it needs to be over £1054 a year) and you will be entitled to a higher amount the lower your income is.

You, personally will be entitled to:

SMP (stat maternity pay)
SSMG (sure start maternity grant)
CTC (child tax credits)
CB (child benefit)
CM (child maintanance)

But the amounts of CTC and CM you will be getting depend on your income and also FOB income.

You're best off using my method of claiming for everything and see what you get! Lol.


Hope this helps x

 

[suzanne108]

McLovin I know the feeling!!!

I detest that entitledto website...it doesn't tell me what I'm entitled to at all...it seems to ask me the questions that I need answers to!

I'm so confued about it all....I'm hoping it will become clearer when the baby arrives.

Start with child benefit I'd say, then maybe tax credits and CSA. You can make an appointment with an advisor at the Jobcentre about it if you would rather speak with someone face to face. xx

 

[McLovin]

thanks ladies. in that case I will wait until LO is born and make sure I have a lot of phone credit saved up!!!
this has been really helpful thanks - means I won't bother to worry about it until he is born : )
xxx

 

[Abigailly]

You will possibly be entitled to working tax credits too?

 

[purpledahlia]

yeah if your working you should get working tax credits??