Benefits!

[doommer]

Hi everyone! I am new on the forum and would like to introduce myself and explain everything first

My name is Eli and I'm a 21 year old. Just graduated from University and happily found a good job in Cardiff (221 mile from place I am living now up north) for which I am going and happily will try to rent a two bedroom house. Sadly the pay isn't super awesome and is around 17k a year (happily with good promotion and excellent opportunity with experience).

My girlfriend is from Finland and is a nurse herself, she is currently on the third month of pregnancy and will be moving here in three weeks to me, to finally join and live happily!

Sadly her chances of finding the job will be quiet small as she is pregnant and i'm guessing no one would like to take a person which will leave. That might not be the case for nurses as they are needed if i ma right The case is that she feels horrible with throwing up moments "hangover" moments etc all the time and her nurse in Finland after few checks has said "Well seems like u r one of those which will feel like that for at least next 6 months" ... so the chances of her working are closer to the 0!

I am also hoping to work as a delivery driver to get some more finances on weekends which would help the family. Although i would just like to know what are the chances to get any benefits, if i am right it should be okay to get a housing benefits etc and child tax credit etc after the birth.

Although are there any benefits she can get wile still being pregnant? I know its not the best situation and I have never claimed any benefits, so not too sure about it.

Thank You for reading this long post, and hope to hear for some help!

 

[Mommyto3]

Hi there, there is a calculator on google called 'entitled to' by turn to us it tells you every benifit you will be entitled to down to the last penny I found it really accurate.

 

[doommer]

Thank You Mommyto3 i have tried a calculator and as it seems the only help would be a housing benefit of £18 a week, which doesn't seem so great. Can she apply for jobseekers? I don't see such a big struggle with money etc, but it might be a bit problematic with actually getting anything for a baby + and i am more than motivated to work as a delivery driver on top of that, so it definitely shouldn't be a big struggle but at the same time, i don't want my girlfriend to feel that for me job and money is more important than spending the time with her. Knowing that in pregnancy she may feel insecure and will want me to spend more time with her.

 

[Baby2sky]

I can't imagine you would be entitled to much else until the baby is born, then I think you may get child tax credits and maybe child benefit but I'm not sure if you get that if she is from Finland? I can't see she would be entitled to job seekers either. Tbh if money isn't going to be a struggle then why should you be entitled to all sorts of benefits? Plenty of men work double jobs/long hours etc to provide for their family without expecting the state to fund them just so they can spend more time with their partners. Just my opinion.

 

[doommer]

True, well thats how i counted it, that it shouldn't be a struggle but still better know my back ups if something does go wrong.

 

[Sugarpop]

She can't apply for job seekers because you will claim as a couple and you will earn too much. However, I do know that working on an ad hoc basis as a nurse can earn quite a bit. She would be classed as self employed I think and working for an agency but the money would be quite decent.

 

[CharlotteH24]

Anyone can apply for child benefit of £20.50 per week providing neither of you earn £50,000 per year and providing you are both legally in the country and her main home is in the UK as of when she moves over.
It's only £20 per week but it's paid monthly, at least it might cover your nappy cost for the month!
Me and my partner have worked out that he would need to earn £18,000 per year to support me and a baby whilst I wasn't working and also hold down our 2 car finances and a house (including utilities) and that's preferably with a friend living with us to help pay our mortgage so we're only contributing £150 per month to it and paying the utilities. We'd have maybe £200 per month left over.
When you consider a new born goes through around 10 nappies a day, 45 nappies in a pack for £7-£8 each. You're looking at £16 per week on nappies alone. Then there's things like milk, all of the clothes to buy as the baby grows out of everything every 2-3 months, all the dummies and socks they lose, all of the milk powder if you choose bottle feeding. It all builds up ridiculously fast. They're costly little creatures!