Money Matters??

[Shorty & Bump]

This will be my first baby and we are so excited and over the moon about it, although it wasnt planned we do want to keep this little miracle )

But the one thing that worries me a lot is money! Me and my partner have always worked and never claimed any kind of benifits, even when i was out of work for 3 months!!! Now I know a lot of people would be entitled to maternity leave and obvously my fella is still working although i'll be at home.

The trouble is I started a new job just over 2 months ago, and although it's classed as permenant the contract only says 12 months. This means i will have baby before my contract is up! I'm guessing I wont get maternity pay and after a year i wont have that same job to go back too! (which i was hoping to do!)

Anyways, like i said this is my first time and i'm sure there are others who want to know..what child benifits do i get and how do i get them??

Your help would be much appreciated,

 

[~KACI~]

You get your child benifits after baby is born at the moment i think it is £18.20 but don't quote me, you may also be entitled to tax credits. Can i ask how far along are you x

 

[~KACI~]

To qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay you must have been:

employed by the same employer continuously (some breaks do not interrupt continuous employment) for at least 26 weeks into the 15th week before the week your baby is due; and
earning an average of at least £90 a week (before tax)
If you can't get Statutory Maternity Pay, (from any of your employers if you have more than one) you may be able to get Maternity Allowance instead.

You might get Maternity Allowance if:

you're employed, but not eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay
you're registered self-employed and paying Class 2 National Insurance Contributions (NICs), or hold a Small Earnings Exception certificate
you have very recently been employed or self-employed
You may be eligible if:

you've been employed and/or self-employed for at least 26 weeks of the 'test period' (66 weeks up to and including the week before your baby is due). Part weeks count as full weeks; and
you earned £30 a week averaged over any 13 weeks in your test period

https://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyT...ort/Expectingorbringingupchildren/DG_10018869

You definatly should be entitled to something x

 

[Shorty & Bump]

Oh i'm only very early on, just found out and according to my period dates etc i'm only about 4weeks.

I will have worked for at least 26weeks well before the 15th week before due date (thats if i'm not longer than four weeks!) but my works contract is up in June and baby date at the min is May!

I suppose until ive a clearer idea of how far i'm gone it'll be a bit hazy!

I could be more than four weeks as my last period was very little and weak?!? Its all one big waiting game i suppose!

Thanks you xx

 

[Blah11]

Ask your boss if they will renew your contract after the year is up?

 

[Shorty & Bump]

Yeah i think i will, because i do want to go back and i dont think i've done anything to piss anyone off so they've no reason to say no!

I've not told my boss i'm preggers yet, was going to wait until my scan, i know anything can happen between then and now..

Thanks

 

[Sarahkka]

Shorty,
One piece of advice that my husband and I followed as soon as we knew, was to start adjusting our household finances to live on my husband's income. We started that in the first trimester to get ourselves used to having less money, and we have been using my income for savings. That way we are already used to the tighter budget and it isn't a shock, plus we have a nice little fund built up to help tide us over during baby year!
It was such great advice for us. Maybe it will work for you, too? That way the benefits aren't going to make or break you, you know?

 

[Shorty & Bump]

Yeah thats fab advice - I'll def keep that in mind )

xxx

 

[PeanutBean]

Hi Shorty. Congrats on your tiny surprise with big implications! I'm not sure how it stands for temporary contracts, can you not get access to your company's maternity policy? If not you go to the citizen's advice bureau who should be able to help. If you are not entitled to SMP from your employer but obviously have been paying NICs then you will probably be entitled to maternity allowance. You get child benefit anyway regardless of you past, present or future income. You will also be eligible for some child tax credit probably. You can do an online calculation from HMRC website as well as finding out about all the different alllowances etc that you are entitled to (or not).

Asking about extending your contract will be good if you want to go back but you check with someone externally like CAB or ringing HMRC. Depending on how it works for temporary contracts it might be that you will need to declare that you are pregnant in this context. Some employers will have additional things available to employees that are dependent on them returning for a certain time afterwards.

Sarahkka has the best advice, though it doesn't work if the outgoings eternally exceed the incomings before basic living costs are already met! lol

 

[Sarahkka]

Sarahkka has the best advice, though it doesn't work if the outgoings eternally exceed the incomings before basic living costs are already met! lol

Too true, wise Peanut, too true!