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

Ah yes, FlyAwayPeter, only those earning a FORTUNE have to be grateful for those things, don't they?

it seems an awful lot of money to me. But I work with asylum seekers who have a fiver a week.

People need to chill out. 46K between two people renting in London is fuck all.

User, I think you win the award for who earns the lowest so far, but with points deducted because it's not what YOU earn [grin}

Hi unlimited,

My salary is £21K, DH's is £25K. Both before tax.

I will start Maternity leave in November, I am due 20th so have not agreed as of yet when I will be taking it. It will be £140 or so. I have only been working with my employer for a little while so not entitled to the generous NHS ML.

If it's fuck all, then they are trying to live beyond their means. Do you think New Yorkers demand more welfare because of their vicinity to manhattan? God no! They move further out! 46k is a great income - it's not the UK tax payers responsibility to subsidise London-living!

our financial circumstances were similar before DC1.As it happened, dC1 is severely disabled. i had to give up work and receive carers allowance (£62/week). we get now tax credits thanks to a phenomenal drop in income. We are financially struggling and I frankly find you post disgusting. £46k is a huge income by most people's standards and you really have no idea what hardship is. have a

But OP could save for a holiday, Cathf.

She could move out of London.

Or cut back on other things.

It is impossible to not have a disposal income to play with on £46 fucking thousand a year.

If OP genuinely can't afford a holiday then she needs to look at her budget or perhaps get some help budgeting. Something is going very wrong somewhere if she is struggling on that income.

Aw come on OP, you're getting a lot of stick on here and it's probably not justified but what a daft post to start. We're earning around £35k and other than child benefit we also get no help. We pay out for childcare and get nothing towards that. Granted we don't live in London but that's your choice to live there.
Apply for child benefit which you will get, cut back on expenses and move to a cheaper area/smaller house if possible.

Seriously

£1.3k to cover food, travel and CHILDCARE is NOT well off.
Childcare for me (not in London) costs £13k per year for one child - we fortunately get a salary sacrifice benefit for nursery fees so save approx 25% of this - but if we 'only' had £1.3k a month to live on to include nursery fees things would be pretty hard indeed so think the op is definitely getting a tough time.

Why on earth do you think you're entitled to help from the taxpayer?????

This thread is so depressing.

Holy crap, the bitches are out in force today.

Wow so much hatred on here.

So just because some earns more than you they aren't allowed to comment on feeling the pinch? What is this, a race to the bottom?

Yes it's fucking shit that there are so many people in poverty now and that the rich are becoming richer and the poor poorer, but this is not ops fault.

It's disgusting that there are families through no fault of their own having to rely on food banks. But again not ops fault.

And moving house is not always possible, financially, support wise, jobs. There could be many reasons why it's not an option.

Maybe the opening post could have been better phrased but a little bit of support for us all would go a long way.

£46k goes a long way in some parts of the country, not so far in others and suggesting ways to budget is helpful, pouring scorn on someone really isn't.

Anyway only 7 weeks to go and hopefully we can get rid of this shower of shit though I'm not holding my breath.

Fingers crossed voters go out in force and not rely on everyone else to vote 'their' way

Get and vote - be heard

There's another thread on here at the mo sparked by the "70k is rich" insinuation from John McDonnell, where the vast majority of posters are saying 70k is "just getting by" or "making do" with London's extortionate cost of living.

If 70k is "enough" in London, what is 46k? Apparently - on this, the other side of MN - it's plenty, stop ya' moaning.

If they moved out of London, perhaps they wouldn't have jobs that paid them 23K each?

It's not as simple as moving out of London = more disposable income.

If they are renting 50% of that could be going on rent and essential bills. Leaving them with just over 20K to live off. Which in central London is nothing.

Lots of people have to stay in London because that's where the work is. Hence the price.

One thing that will help then is a very short maternity leave. If you get 6 weeks at 90% pay go back full time afterthat. I did that and expressed milk at work. It will help you with your problem of money here.

Has your husband thought about what childcare he will arrange (or you for that matter). We agreed that between us before not after the baby was born and you need to do the same if you go back within 6 weeks of the birth full time.

Again, can't see how £46K is a great salary when I have 1k to cover childcare, travel expenses, council tax etc.

Yes I am better of than a lot of people. Doesn't mean I am rolling in it by any means. I don't do nice things. I just about get by so please tell me where I am going wrong as I don't see anywhere else that I could be more frugile with. I can't leave my London job for a lot of reasons so naturally DH cannot either as I will need to be here.

Travel expenses, even from Essex, amount to our rent anyway.

What is this, a race to the bottom?

It is exactly that. Theresa May must be rubbing her hands in glee - the bastards have won.

The OP works in the NHS. If every low paid NHS worker moved out of London, the London would be fucked basically. So yes, the NHS, and therefore the government should be funding decent wages for people.

And no, I don't expect it to come from the poor, I expect it to come from the fat cat, tax dodging corporations our government is so cosy with.

Op I can well understand you finding not being able to save and buy out of London to escape the rent trap tough. There's no security in private rental at all.