What Can I Claim For...?

[CoreysMummy]

I am now recieving SMP from my employer, until like December...

Helpfull as it is, 500quid a month is not going to pay alot of bills. Is there anything else I can claim for apart from child benifit?

Seems if I did not have a job and my own house id be given one free of charge practically and have money thrown at me. But at the moment I cant see how were going to be able to cover the mortgage on our new house hold income, never mind anything else.

Any ideas anyone? Or am I traveling up that famous creek with no paddle...

 

[1sttimemum]

Have you tried speaking to your mortgage company/ Alot of them offer maternity breaks - where you can not pay your mortgage for 6 months, can be of a big help, also can you claim working or child tax credits?

Good luck

 

[CoreysMummy]

Ahhh, I might ring Halifax then, see if they offer anything like that.

Urmm, I called them a while ago, child tax credits I may be intitled too, they are sending me the forms. But the household income is to high to qualify for working tax credits... how am I meant to be independant living off my partner... its barely even possible.

 

[1sttimemum]

Tats what annoys me, if we were already claiming something you could get everything on offer but because we make our own money - we get rewarded for nothing!!!

 

[Jollypops]

Helpfull as it is, 500quid a month is not going to pay alot of bills. Is there anything else I can claim for apart from child benifit?

Seems if I did not have a job and my own house id be given one free of charge practically and have money thrown at me. But at the moment I cant see how were going to be able to cover the mortgage on our new house hold income, never mind anything else.

Afraid theres only working tax creditm as far as i know and it pee's me off to!! Sometimes i think why the hell do we work when all the buggers get everything. Was gona list them all but it makes me mad

 

[CoreysMummy]

I agree ladies... its been so frustraiting... iv got friends that are raking it in, and here I spent time and money going to university so that I can give the government £500 a month in tax when I work, and I can claim sod all back when I have a child.

I should have done it when I was 16, got a council house then and sat on the doll since...

Meh, on an up note, I was looking at the Halifax website, as thats who my mtg is with, and it seems they do offer these payment holidays.. just need to fill in a form, and send it off. That would be very handy, saving a grand a month not having that going out for 6 months. Thanks for that suggestion xx

 

[1sttimemum]

So glad that life will be a bit easier money wise when the baby is here!!!

Make things all round easier, get the form filled in and enjoy your maternity leave!!!

 

[kalia]

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/advisers/ni17a/sm ... #moremoney

According to this you may be entitled to income support if you cannot afford to live on SMP.

 

[nori]

LOL.. ive just been having a rant on a couple of the other threads. Ive realised since looking into all this what an absolute joke this government are.. you are all completely rght.. if you work for most of your life then want to bring up your child you get bugger all yet if you dont work and claim all the benefits under the sun you get the lot. No wonder there are so many teenagers having babies to get a house!

Im thinking of throwing my partner out, giving up work and joining them (im too bloody honest though!)

Claire x

 

[HideiLu]

LOL.. ive just been having a rant on a couple of the other threads. Ive realised since looking into all this what an absolute joke this government are.. you are all completely rght.. if you work for most of your life then want to bring up your child you get bugger all yet if you dont work and claim all the benefits under the sun you get the lot. No wonder there are so many teenagers having babies to get a house!

Im thinking of throwing my partner out, giving up work and joining them (im too bloody honest though!)

Claire x

This is exactly how it made me feel! My OH keeps looking at me like a dog that's going to be chucked in the kennels!!

OH got made redundant when we found out about baby, so I went out and got a temp job (on top of trying to set up my own business) to cover income....would have been better of just claiming benefits!!

 

[LisaJ1986]

I thought all i was entitled to was Child Benefit. But called Working tax and they gave me a rough idea of what i should be getting with that AND Child Tax. I didn't think i could claim that. Plus as soon as i had the baby, my partner was sacked. He rang them and told them he was on paternity, as he should, went back to work 2 weeks later, for 2 weeks, and turns out he technically didn't work there anymore! They'd cancelled his clockcard without telling him. So at the mo we're not surviving on my SMP! It's £200 less than my mortgage!

 

[Urchin]

Remember if you get more than the "family element" of Child Tax Credit you can also get the surestart maternity grant which is a one off payment of £500

The family element is £546 a year if you don't have your baby yet or twice that if you have a child under 1.

I can get it this time around which is fab news for me but you HAVE TO apply before baby is 3 months old.

 

[LisaJ1986]

I'm a bit thick, but i don't understand the 'family element' bit. Sorry, i'm very dim on occasion.

 

[Urchin]

If you earn anything up to 58k a year between you, you will get the basic family element.

If you earn a lot less than that 58k, they top it up with more payments.

The basic family element is £545 unless you have a child under 1, then the basic family element is £1090

Therefore if you have a young baby and get MORE than £1090 a year in child tax credit, you should also apply for the Sure Start Grant.

If you haven't had your baby yet, but already get Tax credits cos you have another child, you only need to get more that £545 a year tax credits to be eligible.

 

[LisaJ1986]

Thank you. Sorry if i sound dumb but i'm so confused with all this! I'll be attempting that then before she's too old. Coz you have til she's 3 months old don't you?

 

[Urchin]

yeah 3 months, you can easily find out your tax credits award by calling them or its on the forms they send you.