UK mummys - q about working/tax credits/child benefit etc!

[callmedan]

so im trying to work out what benefits, tax credits me and OH will be entitled to
i am currently on 11k per year before tax and OH is earning 13k per year before tax.. its rubbish i know but its all we can get atm even though he is an accounting graduate last year!
we are ttc april and buying a house july
so hopefully shortly after we move in i will be thinking about maternity leave etc
i have looked at benefit calculators and as far as i can see we will only be entitled to child benefit at £20 per week...
what are you supposed to do, my current take home pay is around £200 per week but they are expecting me to live off stat maternity pay of £136 + £20 child benefit so £156 a week PLUS i will have a new born to pay for??
are there benefits you can claim while on maternity leave (tax credits etc)?
i dont get it all the benefits description say you can get them on a low income but can you really get much lower on a full time wage than me and OH, we are practically on min wage...
feeling very down about it at the minute, feel like we will never comfortably afford a baby!

 

[RainbowDrop_x]

You won't get CB until the baby arrives, and they took an age to sort mine out.

Tax credits are based on your income as a couple and will vary from person to person so I can't help with that, you do get tax credits on mat leave but again not until LO is born and if I remember rightly the first £100 of mat pay is disregarded so they don't take that into account, CB is also paid 4 weekly not weekly, but it might have all changed since I was on mat leave, they have a habit of changing rules like underwear.

 

[callmedan]

You won't get CB until the baby arrives, and they took an age to sort mine out.

Tax credits are based on your income as a couple and will vary from person to person so I can't help with that, you do get tax credits on mat leave but again not until LO is born and if I remember rightly the first £100 of mat pay is disregarded so they don't take that into account, CB is also paid 4 weekly not weekly, but it might have all changed since I was on mat leave, they have a habit of changing rules like underwear.

yeah i know i wont get anything till baby is born - thats fine we can live comfortably (with budgeting) on our two full wages just us two but im worrying that once i am on maternity pay we wont have enough especially as there will be 3 of us!
what does that £100 disregarded mean? so they would only take it as me earning £36 a week? so i must be due a fair amount of tax credits then!
urgh i know its all so cofusing every website says a different thing and as for going off the previous tax years wages - madness!!!!
feeling quite upset, just been talking to my mum about it, seems in this country you are better off not even trying to make a living for yourself

 

[RainbowDrop_x]

To be honest I wouldn't stress about it until you need to.

The websites are crap, the most useful things are the people on the end of the phone because they explain everything but I don't know if they'll advise before the time iykwim?

Best thing to do is to try and put a little bit aside each month for when the time comes, at least that way you know you'll have something to fall back on. There used to be a £500 maternity grant but again I think that's for people on benefits

 

[callmedan]

yeah good advice, and breeeeeathe, i always get myself worked up about things when i intended to have an early night!
thank you

 

[spicyorange]

Gov.UK has all the info on it. Remember the baby doesn't have to cost the earth, buy second hand and buy only what actually need. The benefit levels will change a little in April because personal allowance (the amount you get tax free) goes up but it will give you a good guide using calculator on .gov.uk. My suggestion is start a budget sheet now, track all your monthly expenditure and you will see if there are things you can cut back to save (either in advance or when on mat leave).

 

[lozzy21]

You will qualify for some child tax credits after LO is born. When calculating how much you earn you deduct £100 for every week you are on mat leave.

 

[AP]

You might be so surprised at how much a baby really costs! They really don't need the earth! Spicyorange is right, you only NEED the basics.

 

[lozzy21]

Once you get kitted out the child benefit covered the costs

 

[Inoue]

We earn about what you do (about 2k more). I managed on mat pay and Child benefit, just have to figure out your costing's. It can be done. I don't get any child benefit either (I went back to work) so I just get the £22 benefit as standard & my earnings from work. My sis in law doesn't work, has 3 kids and gets £500+ pm tax credit~ swings & roundabouts.

You will be surprised what you can manage on, don't rely/expect the government to pay out for LO's.

All the best hun, don't worry

xx

 

[Inoue]

just been talking to my mum about it, seems in this country you are better off not even trying to make a living for yourself

Agree 100%