what benefit am i entitle to?

[joannew26]

I am a 26 year old first time mum living with my partner in his parents house. My maternity pay will run out in September and i was wondering what benefits i could claim? as i do not want to return to work yet as i want to care for my child. My partner is self employed and works 50 hours a week.

So if anyone can help me it would be appreciated.
So questions can i claim for any benefits?

[blabalalalablabla]

have a look on here to find out what benefits you are entitled to.

[blabalalalablabla]

although you might be better off returning to work part time.
do you have a job to return to?

[joannew26]

it's very casual work now where I used to work and i will need regular guarantee money

[thisisyesterday]

you ought to be claiming child benefit already, and child tax credits.
you may also be eligible for working tax credits depending on how much your partner earns

i have a feeling though, that as you are living with his parents you may not be entitled to much more (tho sure some more knowledgeable people will be along to say if i'm right or not)...

do you pay rent etc?

[joannew26]

yes we pay his parents rent money

[frgaaah]

"My maternity pay will run out in September and i was wondering what benefits i could claim? as i do not want to return to work yet as i want to care for my child. "

Eh, benefits aren't there to pay you for staying home to raise your child, you know. They're to prop up a household which is suffering illness, accident, or chornically low income or extra costs e.g. associated with old age or disability.

I didn't want to return to work to care for my child - just like a lot of other mums and dads out there.

By all means claim what you are entitled to, but I would like to point out that benefits are there to help the needy, not there because you don't want to go back to work.

[Hammy02]

I don't think you're entitled to anything as your DP works. You'll be a SAHM.

[joannew26]

and frgaaah i know that the benefits aren't there for that but my job does not provide me with a steady income no more so why would i pay someone else to look after my child when I can not afford it.

So that why i was asking what benefit i could get?

[mollymole]

why should you have any benefits when you are CHOOSING not to work - you have the child you pay for it -why should I pay for you to CHOOSE to stay at home
you don't have to go back to your old job - look around for something else
and welcome to the real world

[joannew26]

I will be looking for another job thank you but i meant until i find one as it not that easy.

[stilldazed]

what benefits am I entitled to......

words fail me.

[joannew26]

well i have paid my stamp since i was 17 so yes entitle to.

[blackatthebottom]

I think it will just be CB and CTC, but CTC will depend on your partner's income. At 50 hrs he may earn too much.

You wouldn't get housing benefit even though you're paying rent, as it's paid to relatives who are living in the property. But it's likely that your DP's income would bring you over the threshold anyway.

You could get contribution-based JSA but it would depend on your NI history and the circumstances where you left your last job.

I got income support for several years when the DC were born but that was because I was a lone parent. When you have a partner, their income is taken into account.

[muminthecity]

If your partner works 50 hours a week, and you (presumably) don't pay a huge amount of rent, can't you survive on his wage for the time being? Until you find a new job, I mean.

[scarlettsmummy2]

I am so glad I went back to work when my daughter was 5 months old so that my taxes could be spent allowing you to stay home...........I think I might emigrate.......

[joannew26]

Thank you to the people who gave me advice and not to the ones being sarcastic

[scarlettsmummy2]

I wasn't being sarcastic. I was completely serious. Total joke. Get your finger out, get a job and don't expect me and others like me to pay for you to stay at home.

[allthefires]

Is that what you say to your clients Scarlettsmummy2? Nice judgemental bossy attuide. Are you one of these private providers that the government pay a premium to to get the unemployed back to work only for them to be back on the register in weeks?

OP - You can claim Tax credits and child benefit.
Little bit confused why you are paying your partners parents rent- did you mean in full or as a contribution towards?

It may be better to return to old job part time if you can but if you have made the decision to be a SAHM then you will need to be realistic that it is going to be difficult to cope financially on just one income.

[joannew26]

I dont expect other people to pay for me to stay at home but what the point paying for someone else to look after my baby. When i cant earn enough to pay for it. I take it scarlettsmummy2 you never had hard times. I just asking for a little help until i get a job.

[scarlettsmummy2]

allthefires- I am exactly bossy because I deal with the long term unemployed on a daily basis and have heard every excuse under the sun- prior to that I was a recruitment consultant for a long time, so I feel I have a good understanding of the issues that surround unemployment. I am perfectly capable of understanding the difference between those who can't work for a wide range of social and educational reasons and those who will always choose the easy option. And I work for a charity and am paid very little. I also have an 85% success rate of getting young people into permanent employment. This wouldn't be the case if I was a complete heartless cow. I just tell them to cut the bullshit. Sorry if this offends but come and spend a week doing what I do and tell me if you have a better approach.

[allthefires]

I really don't need to spend a week with you to see how you operate or the problems of the long term unemployed.

Yours and others response to the OP simple question of whether there were any benefits she was entitled to was out of order.

[scarlettsmummy2]

joannew- believe me I have known hard times- I know exactly what its like not to have enough money to pay all my bills. However, your post starts with "what benefits can i claim as i do not want to return to work yet" which is very different to "what benefits can I claim because I have recently lost my job and have no money coming in"

[scarlettsmummy2]

Allthefires- see my above post. I have no issue with people claiming benefits if they are genuinely unable to work. I do have an issue with people asking what benefits they can claim as they do not want to return to work yet after maternity leave knowing perfectly well that the tax payer will have to subsidise this decision.

Perhaps if you did spend a day with me you would see how extremely frustrating it is to see people choose not to take fairly straight forward, not unpleasant, non physical jobs because they can't be bothered to get out of the bed in the morning! and how doubly frustrating this is when you have went out of your way to get these people jobs to begin with!! and then to be criticised for daring to say that you have no right to be bossy and pissed off!!