Wondering what as a single mother I will be entitled to?

[Katieeeee]

Just wanted to ask people who may know who are already a single mum and claiming benefits, what am I entitled to once Aiden is here and how much will I get? All I'm aware of is income support, child benefit and tax credits? I think? Does anyone know how much these will amount to per week roughly? I know each situation is different so it's hard to say specifically how much I'd be getting but to give you some ideas, I won't be working, father of baby isn't in the picture, I have NO savings...right now I'm on jobseeker's allowance and I'm not entitled to any form of maternity pay. I know I can get the HIP grant and the sure start grant (well I hope so anyway) but yeah what will me and Aiden have to live on when he's here??

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[Lexi's Mummy]

hey, well like you say im not sure if its different in different areas or what but ill let ya know wat i get and it cant be far different
at 29weeks preg i could claim income support, and when bubs was born i got is, child tax credits and child benefit.
i.s is arouns £64.50, tax creds are around £53.54 (changed recently lol) and child ben is £20
if you are on housing benefit once lil one is here that should increase too xx

hope that helps xx

 

[Kirstin]

Will you be renting a house or living with parents? You will be able to get housing benefit but how much depends on your council and the average rent in the area.

 

[Katieeeee]

Will you be renting a house or living with parents? You will be able to get housing benefit but how much depends on your council and the average rent in the area.

I'll be renting a house, most likely a council house. I'm currently on the housing register and the council referred me last week to a parent and child project for homeless young mums between 16 and 25 and they've found me a 2 bedroom house to move into on monday I'll be sharing with a 16 year old girl who has a 7 month old baby girl. The rent there is £11 a week inc bills and they filled out a housing benefit form on my behalf (that's how kind and helpful they are) yesterday for this place, and said that as soon as I move out and into another place all I'll need to do is fill out a change of address form. So that looks all sorted.

 

[DizzyMoo]

Hiya hun , what lexis mummy said is round about spot on . You will get full rent & council tax paid too. The only other thing i can think of is you should get healthy start vouchers until your child is 4 yrs old.
i'm on income support but i get £40 a wk as i get a budgeting loan with income support every 6mth so they take it directly out of your money , & i pay water rates direct out of my money so i dnt have to fart with it. but it should be around £60 ish, i get £20 child benefit & i get £50 for child tax as it goes down a little as your child gets older.

if your bumps dad does pay csa you will be entitled to £20 a wk out of whatever he pays anything over that the government takes for paying your benefits/rent etc.

You are also allowed to earn an extra £20 a wk from working or extra income, again anything over that the government take.

Cant think of anything else once baby is born though x