maternity pay

[rosey]

does anyone know what money you are entitled to in regards to any benefits etc. I will received SMP which is rubbish, 6 weeks at 90% of my wage and then £128 per week, which is not liveable and less than a third of my normal wage. i am very worried about this...

 

[pringle88]

i am the same hun, i think we can claim working tax credits on top of smp which will more or less probaly make it around the same as my wages... going to look into it all properly over the next few weeks xx

 

[Laura_C]

I never got working tax credits as my husband earned too much, but we did get a little child tax credit which has slightly different criteria. You can't claim this until baby is here and you are claiming child benefit. Child Benefit is about £80 per month which pretty much everyone gets unless one of you earn over £45,000 a year. The government have introduced lots of changes this year and it seems we won't get as much help with our second child, if anything!

If your OH works and gets a decent salary you prob won't get much, dont think it's fair when both me and my husband have worked all our lives, paid tax and NI and get very little, if anything! Not fair especially when you have a mortgage to pay and other costs along with owning your own home

 

[rosey]

thank you i am going to look into it now, makes me wonder if i should just quite my job and then surely i would get more money? very little incentive for people who work full time!

 

[k8_005]

I never got working tax credits as my husband earned too much, but we did get a little child tax credit which has slightly different criteria. You can't claim this until baby is here and you are claiming child benefit. Child Benefit is about £80 per month which pretty much everyone gets unless one of you earn over £45,000 a year. The government have introduced lots of changes this year and it seems we won't get as much help with our second child, if anything!

If your OH works and gets a decent salary you prob won't get much, dont think it's fair when both me and my husband have worked all our lives, paid tax and NI and get very little, if anything! Not fair especially when you have a mortgage to pay and other costs along with owning your own home

is the £45,000 including both the household wages? and does it include the time you are off as we would technically earn more than that between us but while im on maternity i wouldnt obviously be earning my normal wage so during that time would i earn child benifit or not?

 

[NinjaKitty]

I never got working tax credits as my husband earned too much, but we did get a little child tax credit which has slightly different criteria. You can't claim this until baby is here and you are claiming child benefit. Child Benefit is about £80 per month which pretty much everyone gets unless one of you earn over £45,000 a year. The government have introduced lots of changes this year and it seems we won't get as much help with our second child, if anything!

If your OH works and gets a decent salary you prob won't get much, dont think it's fair when both me and my husband have worked all our lives, paid tax and NI and get very little, if anything! Not fair especially when you have a mortgage to pay and other costs along with owning your own home

is the £45,000 including both the household wages? and does it include the time you are off as we would technically earn more than that between us but while im on maternity i wouldnt obviously be earning my normal wage so during that time would i earn child benifit or not?

I have the same question.

 

[BevG]

if u both work u get mat pay child tax credits and child benefit after babs is born, its not lots and im fairly sure that i will have to go back to work sooner rather than later as i earn the most. i'll be looking into working tax credits tho as i will be reducing my hours after babs is here even when i go back to work.

 

[knopk@]

SMP is not good, is it? I am not entitled to anything cause my husband earns more and now even child care vouchers have been reduced.

The government is always making middle class pay for deficit though

 

[Laura_C]

The £45,000 is just for one earner NOT household income. So for example if your OH works and earns £45,000 and you don't work or earn anything you won't get Child Benefit but if you each earn £40,000 for example and have a household income of £80,000 you would still get it!! Backwards!! It's just specific to one earner for Child Benefit.

EDIT - just double checked this, it wont be coming in until 2013, phew! So everyone can still claim regardless of income until then

 

[Cazza]

If your OH works and gets a decent salary you prob won't get much, dont think it's fair when both me and my husband have worked all our lives, paid tax and NI and get very little, if anything! Not fair especially when you have a mortgage to pay and other costs along with owning your own home

I agree..........

Somehow in the last 2/3 years my workplace have moved the goalposts on MP (changed from full pay 12 weeks to 6 weeks 90% pay) so instead of the year off I'd hoped and planned for I'm looking at 6/7 months on SMP.

We've worked our butts off over the years, NEVER claimed any benefit and will get zilch in asssistance from the goverment.

 

[Nic36]

Didn't know that about the £45,000 thing. Doesn't seem very fair (or logical) at all - but at least it's not coming in until 2013. Thanks for the info!

 

[NinjaKitty]

I've just been on the HMRC website calculator which took account for me and DH's wage from the previous tax year. I.e. doesn't take into account that I won't be earning anything like my wage on mat leave and says that we are entitled to a big fat £0.

I'm more confused than ever.