Newly single

[fizz63]

My partner and i have just broke up and less than a week ago i got my bfp (we were together at the time). We have been trying for a baby for a good few months and despite being together over 10 years, he had reached a point where he was going to tell me that he wants us to finish. Unfortunately this happened on the day i told him i was pregnant. i am gutted to say the least. I have been on an emotional rollercoaster for about a week now but my sensible head is fighting thru and telling me to plan for the future.

what i was hoping from you girls was if you knew anything about benefits etc that you can claim as a single mum. i currently work full time, but as i work in an office, i do not earn enough to not rely on benefits. financially it will really be a struggle and i have no idea how to manage or what i am entitled to.

i presume after the baby arrives, i will have to give up work coz i dont think i can work and afford to send the LO to nursery.

any advice on how i can get thru this mentally and financially would be a help coz i feel in rather a state at the moment.

 

[jenny873]

when u have ur baby u will get working tax credits, child tax credits and ur wages (or income support if you give up work). You will probably want to cut to part time if you go back to work atall so on 16 hours a week u will get (adverage)
£71 per week working tax
£53 child tax per week
and £20 child benefit per week

then ur wages. you will also get 80% of childcare paid by the tax credits, £70 a week towards your rent and £2 a week towards your council tax.

if you dont work u will get

£65 income support
£53 child tax credits (£63 before your LO is 1)
£20 Child benefit

APPROX £109 a week towards your rent and you will get your council tax paid.

im going through the same at the minute but ive already got my LO and im not working at the minute as i took my boss to court so waiting for that to be over for a referance. as soon as i get that though im going back to work. Ive been told i will be £50 per week better off on their calculations. but ive worked it out myself over a 4 week perioud and i think i will be £150 better off over the 4 weeks than i am now. so i suppose £150 is £150 so its worth going back, Lilly gets to socialise in nursary and I get some decent adult conversation LOL x

 

[fizz63]

thanks for that, thats really helpful (might take a while to sink in tho). sorry to hear you are going thru a difficult time too.

we did have a house together so i should get some money from that in a final settlement. when i do receive that, i will probably buy somewhere. however, i will really struggle with a mortgage on my own. when you refer to receiving a rent benefit, will i be able to claim anything to help me with regards to mortgage etc .... one of my friends has 2 children and works 16 hours, she was told they would give her more money if she gave up work, but she is trying to set an example for her boys and enjoys being back at work too.

i am abit worried coz i know they might pay towards rent but what if i have a small house and a mortgage of say £100,000 to pay, will they help with any of that ?

i have no idea what you are supposed to do when you have abit of equity, its not like i get my hands on that money coz i need to put it down on another house.

 

[jenny873]

to be honest i dont think they help atall with morgages, i know they will pay the interest only if you are put out of work, maybe you will be better renting until you want to go back to work, ask a family member to hold that money for you so its not in your accounts as the government will expect you to live off your savings! x

 

[fizz63]

thats what i thought. do you think i will still get all the working tax credits, child tax credit and benefits and nursery 80% paid - if i do still have that money.

that money has to go down on a house so its not like i really have any money but i do need somewhere to live with my newborn. working on those figures you have given for all the tax credits etc, plus working part time, i should maybe just be able to manage. will they still help with 80% nursery though ?

 

[jenny873]

yes they will still help you, if i was you i wouldnt declare you had that money, others might diagree but thats just my opinion. ask somebody else to put it into an account for you x

 

[fizz63]

it will be too much to put into someone elses acct ... at least 20,000. thats sounds like alot and you might think why am i worrying about money but without that, i wont be able to get a mortgage for another home, i dont earn enough

thanks for your help though

 

[Emma1980]

yeah thats an issue on morals i think...

If you have over 16k in savings you'll hardly get anything in benefits, you will get the childcare one tho...

You could buy a house in someone elses name and "rent" it from them, a parent perhaps?

i didnt say that, dooby dooby dooooooooo

 

[precious-gift]

hey im in same situation, had been trying for baby and couple of month after my he left me! i have been trying to work out benefits, as i will be unable to work full time after LO here. this is what i will get weekly
SMP £123
child tax credit £63
working tax credit £72
child benefit £20
any maintenence from FOB i will get to keep and is not calculated towards benefits, whereas if you claim income support, i believe that you don't get to keep a lot of child maintainence. From what i have calculated i would be better of working, so when i do go back i will work 16 hours.

Also trying to sell marital home atm, with no joy, but will get some money from sale, although unsure if it will be enough to take out a mortgage on my own, so also on council waiting list and registered with housing associations, hoping that i get placed somewhere decent, if not then id rather stay with parents until i can save enough for decent deposit. My parents have suggested that they will take out mortgage and i will pay the monthly payments back to them. i already know that i would get no help with housing benefit etc as i earn too much. x