To be gutted we're not entitled to any financial help?

[DeanaPiana]

Myself and DH have a combined income of £46000.

I have done numerous calculators and apparently, I am not entitled to Child Tax Credits or Working Tax Credits when baby gets here.

A few sources have even said I shouldn't go for Child Benefit as it wouldn't be worth it in tax returns

We didn't budget for a baby thinking we would get extra help to finance them etc, but I thought we were entitled to at least a little something and I have to say, I feel gutted. We live in a high cost area, London, and rent here too. We want to move out into a more rural/outer area in the next 2 years max but that just doesn't seem possible now. No way we can afford to save that much. We don't even have a lot of outgoings. Our rent is over 1K a month and that is considerablly cheap here.

Just doesn't seem fair at all

[DeanaPiana]

Okay, will definitley apply for Child Benefit then.

Moving to a cheaper area sounds like a good idea until we calculate costs two and from work... It doesn't end up being that muich different.

Maternity Leave for me is fine but will be going back fairly sharpish for financial reasons. Luckily the hospital I work in has a on-site nursery with lots of available spaces.

[whifflesqueak]

I think the op meant she didn't write up a budget that included financial help, but that it would have been nice.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

Why should people who earn less than you superdise your choices?

[ToughItOut]

You have a combined income of £46000. What financial help do you need exactly? And how is having a baby stopping you moving to the countryside? Babies are not that expensive!

[usernumbernine]

I tell you what. Why don't we get the government to take money from people on minimum wage jobs, those who care for others, the disabled and the like so you can be given "a little something" to help you out on your forty fucking six thousand pounds a year combined income?

That seem fair op?

[Mombie2016]

usernumbernine Same

[Wolfiefan]

Doh! I'm so sorry OP. I have misread!
There is little enough to go round I'm afraid and some are very badly off.

[flumpybear]

You'll get the family allowance as it was called which is about 85 a month I think for 1 child. A combined income of 46k isnt bags of
Money but it's ok to live off - perhaps you need to evaluate your spending? Where do you live? Could you move somewhere cheaper? When my husband and I first had a child 8 years ago our income was about 30k and it was fine (I wasn't working so solely his income) it's a lot more now but it wasn't difficult to live off that ?

[DeanaPiana]

The government's not your auntie, it doesn't get you a present because you had a baby

Choked on my sandwhich laughing at that grin]

[Goldfishjane]

In your own words
You earn £46k
You have low outgoings.

WTAF? This isn't something to be gutted about.

[thisusernameisnotavailable]

I'm a single parent earning a bit more than half your figure and I get less than £10

[TwitterQueen1]

I just thought a little something would be ours to put towards small costs,

And who do you think is going to pay for this 'little something'? Everyone else earning less than you?

How entitled can you get

[usernumbernine]

I'm glad you're finding this so hilaire op what the actual fuck

[User543210]

Omg, my mother raised five of us on a £12,000pa wage. Help is for people like that.

46,000 is an insane amount to me.

[Want2bSupermum]

If it's possible I'd move jobs out of London too. A lot of teaching and healthcare positions give a tiny London weighting compared to the extra cost of living there. Personally I'd prefer to earn £20k a year in the NW or NE (heck even the midlands!) than earn £30k a year in London.

[usernumbernine]

The wee bit of something you're little something to be yours to put towards small costs, is that not child benefit?

Which you are entitled to.

[lucyandpoppy123]

You would be able to get child benefit but tbh, £36,000 between two adults and a baby after rent is very doable.

[flownthecoopkiwi]

nursery costs are the big killer, but it's part of having a child - they cost.

We earn twice what you do OP and have seriously considered the financial implications of each child, and certainly couldn't afford a third.

[PNGirl]

I think people are reading the OP wrong:

We didn't budget for a baby thinking we would get extra help to finance them etc,

Means

We didn't put together a budget for the baby that was based on us getting extra help to finance them etc,

[ComputerUserNotTrained]

Whilst an individual salary of £46k isn't too shabby, a combined income of under £46k isn't huge. What's the average salary in the UK for an adult working full time? £25k-ish? You'll get a gazillion posters here though telling you that you are rich beyond their wildest dreams.

YABU to be gutted that you won't get any tax credits or the like though. I don't think people on similar incomes ever have, have they? Much as I'd like to blame Tory austerity measures, I don't think I can this time! You'll manage.

[ChaiTeaTaiChi]

You have a higher combined income than we do, and lower housing costs. And we have several more children.
I'm not crying for you here.

[DeanaPiana]

The wee bit of something you're little something to be yours to put towards small costs, is that not child benefit?

True

[lakehouse]

Who do you think you should get help from? Me? Should I subsidise your life? Live within your means, pay for your own choices. If you can't afford a baby, don't have a baby. People complain about the Government bringing this country down. It's all the scroungers who bring us down. I'm sick of this entitled attitude. Why not aim to be a contributor rather than a taker?

[usernumbernine]

I'll take your 46k you can have my 15,800 with tax credits of around another £100 a week which makes up to £20k total ish

how's that sound for you?

[usernumbernine]

Where do you think this help that you are gutted you're not entitled to is going to come from?

Who do you think should lose their help to pay for yours?