Help AFTER maternity allowance for self employed

[Pippa1703]

Hi, I'm TTC and been trying to figure out the options,

I started paying NI class2 back in April so I know I could claim MA when time comes.
My worry is what can I do after that??

I'm a self employed tattoo artist and plan to work til I pop, or as close as I can get anyway. My partner earns around £25k.
When MA runs out we don't know what to do. He works 4 long days, so I could work the other 3, but we'd never see each other. If that's how it has to be then so be it, but I wondered if I could get any further help and maybe use a nursery one of the days so we could both work on the same day and maybe take Sunday together?
But that's still me down two days work, plus the fee of a nursery day, we're gonna need help!

(Neither of us have family to help)

 

[kat1988]

I think judging from oh income you should be able to claim working tax credits and of course child tax credits/ benefit but other than that I don't think there's any other help you could claim, maybe ask about help towards childcare? although I think oh's income might be too much for anything significant its always worth a try! xx

 

[Pippa1703]

Thanks x
I don't want to stop working, I adore my job and I'll miss it like hell but with no family to help out, I think ill have no choice but to stay home when OH is at work (4 days including two nights away) unless I can get some help toward childcare for the day...

 

[kat1988]

have you got any friends with youngish children? if so sharing childcare with them a couple of days a week could be an option?
I'm looking into childcare atm and basically unless mil will take lo I can't work, seen as she already works 14-18hours a day 6 days a week I don't really want to even ask! I know how frustrating this topic is for a lot of us! xx

 

[Pippa1703]

I know, there'd be nothing stopping me work Wednesday Saturday and Sunday, but I hate the idea of not having a day with OH
With tattooing, I can earn £0-£200 a day, it's unpredictable.
I was planning on selling my car, as I don't have a licence anyway, that's £1k. That'd see me through 1-2nonths after maternity runs out...which I don't intend to start until at least 34weeks PG. So that'd see me funded til bubba was about 8months old ish. Aaaaaargh!!! So much to process!
I think I'd need to have a full on deliberation with CAB :/

 

[Pippa1703]

Have a niece nearby with a 3yr old, but really don't want to look after other children myself, I know I'll adore my kids, but I'm just not maternal over other people's ....But again, it might be another avenue worth exploring

 

[littlemonkey]

I don't think you would get anything in terms of working tax credits if your OH earns £25k. I know based on my own wages around the same mark, if my OH left work, and I worked we would get nothing other than child benefit. My OH works four days a week, and I work shifts so if we get a flexible childminder/nursery who could work around my shifts, we only need childcare for 3 days a week. It is rubbish I have to go back to work on my shifts, I will have only two weekends a month of with OH, but we cannot afford it otherwise!

 

[Pippa1703]

It looks like that will be what we'll have to do, it's a toughy