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

[UndersecretaryofWhimsy]

flippety I think when people say kids are expensive they mean either losing one income to raise them or £1k+ a month in childcare, unless you have family to care for them or can work shifts, etc. The actual bits for babies definitely don't have to be expensive, obviously.

[TinselTwins]

You're entitled to LOADS OP, you'll get free maternity care, you and your baby will get free healthcare after it's born, your child will be entitled to free schooling, you have protection of a free police forced without having to pay protection money.

You'll have had a mind boggling amount of state money spent on you and your child by the time it's 18! You're getting tonnes of help!

[ComputerUserNotTrained]

I reckon op would have around £500 a month for groceries and spends. Again, doable but hardly Kardashian levels of wealth.

[DeanaPiana]

On £46k we'd feel like millionaires!

Oh do behave yourself. We would struggle for a nice holiday so I can't see how you'd feel like a millionare.

You may live in a nice area but I doubt you pay over a grand a month for a small flat and pay London nursery fees, on top of two London commute prices every week.

[FurryElephant]

Single parent here on £20,000 before tax with a baby I don't currently claim the child tax credits I'm apparently "entitled" to as I don't feel right now that I need them. It's more than doable.

[Goldfishjane]

Tinsel, where's the like button?

[TinselTwins]

Oh do behave yourself. We would struggle for a nice holiday so I can't see how you'd feel like a millionare

Worrying about how to pay for a holiday.. is a luxury in itself

[Giddyaunt18]

You will get child benefit.

[WeAllHaveWings]

I am wondering how much the chilcare costs are here in the hospital.

Didn't you include that in your budgeting?

When we ttc, we made sure we had enough savings (we took >4 years to save up £15K) to cover my 6 months maternity leave and some of the initial childcare when I went back. We knew exactly how much nursery was going to cost and what we were going to do and if we could afford it. I would work 4 days (using accrued holidays) for almost a year, dh (self-employed) would work weekends and take 1 day off mid week to reduce childcare costs. We knew holidays/new cars/mobile phone contracts/fibre broadband/Sky/eating out or regular takeaways/any luxuries etc etc would be out the window for several years.

I had less outgoings than you, but probably less disposable income and couldn't (and never expected to) claim anything other than child benefit. It does sound as if you are financially ill prepared for the costs of your dc, the tax payer shouldn't be subsidising that.

What exactly doesn't seem fair?

[BarbaraofSeville]

You sound like my MIL. She seems to think that everyone gets an enormous pile of CTCs etc and if she comes across someone who doesn't she goes 'and they don't get any help at all, you know' in that tone that implies she thinks they're the most hard done by family in the world ever.

She even said that about SILs family even though BIL is on a massive salary in banking and they have a tiny mortgage.

[TinselTwins]

Flippetydip that's not what "children are expensive" means as another poster has pointed out, it's about loss of earning and also of earning potential - not progressing as fast in your career and even going backwards

[willothewisp17]

tinsel my thoughts exactly! me and my husband have never even been a holiday together after seven years! it's just too expensive and out of the question!

[DeanaPiana]

FFS no I am not worrying about paying for a holiday Tinsel! I am saying we couldn't afford a nice holiday, therefore I don't see how PP can say they would feel like 'millionaires' on our income.

[Spindelina]

Deana our hospital on-site nursery is slightly cheaper than all the local competition, so definitely worth looking at.

[usernumbernine]

I haven't a holiday anywhere in 16 years. Not even a uk break. No where and I can't afford to do things with my kids when they're off.

We are just budgeted for a cinema trip on Sunday. Me and two teens. One cinema trip and that's our big treat for Easter.

Catch. A. Grip.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

Lots of people do without holidays completely and struggle for even the essentials.

[Flippetydip]

Undersecretary - got you - that makes sense

[PoppyFleur]

Ellis you can't get your head around someone TTC without knowing the childcare costs? Are you new to mumsnet? This site is filled with people who leapt first and thought things through later.

Why is the OP getting such a hard time? Yes she made a mistake in her assumptions which she has apologised for. She is not to blame for the difficulty in the lives of others. We are all responsible (to a certain extent) for our own decisions and outcomes.

[willothewisp17]

OP me and my husband really would feel like millionaires on that income, but then we do live elsewhere. but that income, I can't even imagine the possibilities for us!

[TinselTwins]

FFS no I am not worrying about paying for a holiday Tinsel! I am saying we couldn't afford a nice holiday, therefore I don't see how PP can say they would feel like 'millionaires' on our income.

why don't you understand that what your saying sounds like unimagible luxury for people trapped in poverty! They'ld feel like a millionaire if it was "just" nice holidays they couldn't afford!

[NameChanger22]

I earn 13k and I don't get help, because I can stand on my own two feet and I don't want to take money from people that really need it. I have one child and no partner or anyone helping. I pay for childcare. We live well and can even afford a holiday once a year.

Why on earth would anyone with an income of 46k need any help? It's a lot of money, just learnt to manage to better.

[Giddyaunt18]

It really doesn't have to cost that much, unless you want the latest pram and designer baby clothes. There are great, cheap baby products/furniture etc at IKEA if you don't want second hand but it's worth looking on ebay etc. Aldi do great, cheaper nappies and breast feeding is free if you can.It's all about expectation OP. Your baby NEEDS love, warmth and shelter and nourishment.Nothing else.

[DeanaPiana]

Again, yes, I did calculate for expensive childcare costs before getting pregnant. Just because I don't know the pricing of that nursery in particular doesn't mean I didn't budget for childcare. I did.

[BarbaraofSeville]

Another advantage of an onsite nursery is that the DC would be in the nursery for just about only the time you are at work, and not with travel time on top, so may work out cheaper. They may also have hours better suited to shift work and be more forgiving if you don't get off shift on time.

[TinselTwins]

Your family income is approximately twice what most of the families at my DDs school will be earning. Would you not feel rich if your income doubled? because that's how people on half of your income would feel on yours.