thoughts on life after pregnancy...

[cherelle]

Im wondering what everyone plans to do after the pregnancy with regards to to work ..... do you plan to go back? Full time?

I was made redundant last year and so the job i have now i only earn about 200 pounds a week and i dont know if it would be worth going back to work after childcare costs!

Im a bit worried really that i dont know enough about what i will be entitled to and if i dont go back to work i wont be able to get my life back! x

 

[XHopefulX]

Will be in the same boat as you hun, it is the fuel that kills me, 70 miles a day then child costs on top... don't think it will be worth it as I don't earn that much.

Likewise don't know what and if I will be entitled to after bab's is here and don't think my other half's wages will be enough for just the normal day to day bills x

 

[Miss]

At the moment I hate my job - My boss is winding up and I find it pretty hard to be civil to him lol I feel like I have no loyalty to the company and have spoken to my OH about not coming back after the baby. However....this could all be hormones lol

Whatever happends I will work after having the baby....I am not sure I will work full time tho.

As for what you are entitled to after the baby is born,

Child Benefit - Everyone gets this unless you have someone in your house earning over £44,000.
Child Tax Credit - Everyone is entitled to this.
Working Family Tax Credit - If you or your partner that lives with you work over 16 hours per week you will be entitled to something - How much you earn depends on how much.
Child Care Vouchers - If you claim Working Family tax credit and both work you are entitled to have 70% of your child care costs paid for you. This only applies for Registered child care i.e Child minder, creche etc not if a member of the family looks after baby.

Hope this helps you abit hun xx

 

[Miss]

Hopeful you travel how far for work? OMG!

Here is a little more info from websites

This is a website with all benefits - it may be a little dated tho as I know the new government has stoped the child trust funds etc http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index...d_children.htm#help_for_families_and_children if you read down the page it even gives you an 'estimate' of what you are entitled to.

Official Child Benefit http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit/index.htm

Official Tax Credits site http://taxcredits.hmrc.gov.uk/HomeNew.aspx

 

[XHopefulX]

Miss you are a star with the info.... just looked that the first bit and sadly though we won't be entitled to the £190 grant as we won't be 25 weeks by Jan when they scrap it, sob sob.

Yes travel 35 miles to work and back, oh the joys of living the the Highlands Of Scotland lol
x

 

[cherelle]

thanks miss thats really helpful! maybe ill carry on working part time im not sure, need to work out if id be any better off! x

 

[Miss]

You are most welcome ladies!

Hopeful - I know we miss out by like a few weeks - How unfair! 35 miles just to get to work? Wow that must put like an extra 1 hour + on your working day?

Cherelle according to the new government you will be rewarded for working....however if you are rewarded for both working remains to be seen!

xx

 

[XHopefulX]

Yes Miss depending on traffic..... normally about hour and a half extra a day, ho hummmmm such is life so really not worth coming back to so might apply for Tesco's lol
x

 

[xshauna_bazx]

No advice on the benefit side as i dont know what im entitled to myself. But im going to be a stay at home mummy, may get boring yeah but least i will see my little one all the time xxx

 

[FebMum2Be]

I had no idea what I was going to do when I was pregnant, now with Odhrán at 9 months, there is no way I could afford to go back to work, keep a house, pay for childcare etc.. So I'm going back to study, I'm going to an interview on the 21st to help me decide what to do and where to do it.. Seeing as I have done things backwards I'm hoping I'll be able to get the qualifications I need to give me and Odhrán a nice life in the future, I know it will be a long road, but until I am fully qualified I won't be working x

 

[midnight]

not everyone gets child tax credits!!! depends on how much money you have coming in

but so long as no one in the household earns more that the 44 thousand you will get child benefit think thats about £20 a week or close that if your a low income family you could get working tax credits and then woukld also be entitled to help with childcare but it all goes off what you earn so nobody can say what you shall get there is a calculater this that can estimate what your entitled to on a website....DID NONE OF YOU GET A BENEFIT ENTITLEMENT BOOKLET THING AT YOU BOOKING IN?? oh soory bout the cap letters lol

 

[XHopefulX]

Sorry miss Midnight /hides in case she shouts again lol no didn't get one x

 

[midnight]

ahem its MRS LMAO hahaha i got 1 on my booking in appointment wonder why you havent

 

[Rachey]

I work 22 hours over 4 days, walk to work so no travel cost! Hoping that I can go back to work and I can change to 22 hours over 3 days instead of 4 Thanks for posting that wee list Miss! Really helpful!! xxx

 

[midnight]

the book is called the parents guide to money

 

[XHopefulX]

Must be a scottish thing then when they don't expect you to have any lol x

 

[midnight]

its a good book bit pointless to give it me as im on baby no 5 so pretty much know my entitlement lol just read it though and find out if we open a savers accont with this compant the government puts in upto 300 if you recieve carers allowance (you only get this if you care for somebody if they are disabled) but knowing the government bet thats been scrapped too eh haha

 

[XHopefulX]

More than likely, like the £190 swiped... grrrrrr x

 

[Miss]

Midnight the links were provided so that people could look into it themselves. These things are changing all the time now due to the new government. But Citizens Advice and the Tax websites I would have thought would be the best refference.

I am getting jealous now of all these booking in appointments - I want mine! The level of care in my area seems to have gone right down since I had my son.

 

[Amanda W]

When i can go back to work iam gonna take any job that comes along so at least i know i have money coming etc but i do hope to set my photography business up perhaps do a course we will see yet either that or i wanna work in a eldery home x