Working tax credit/universal credit? What will we get

[NewMum2021x]

Hello everyone, I'm expecting our first child in 2021. My partner is in the military so we will hopefully be getting accommodation with him after the baby is born. As I'm going to be moving 2 hours away to his battalion, I won't be able to work straight away (no judgement please I've always worked hard in the recruitment sector) but due to covid lost my recent job offer (which I left my previous job for!)

My partners salary is £20,000. Very little and not really enough to support us both... can anyone tell me what I/us would be entitled too by the government? I've never claimed anything from the government/neither of us have. But as I'm not going to be working surely we would be entitled to something? We've tried to input our details onto a "entitled calculator" and the estimate we got was £21 weekly child benefit and £50 a week universal credit. My friend did tell me he would be entitled to working tax credit. Which I'm confused at as I thought universal credit was for people out of work and seeking work? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you :)

Could be wrong, but I think working tax credits are closed to new applicants now, unless in specific circumstances relating to disability. So you’d be looking at a claim for universal credit.

@CausingChaos2

Could be wrong, but I think working tax credits are closed to new applicants now, unless in specific circumstances relating to disability. So you’d be looking at a claim for universal credit.

Think this ^ is correct information

Yes, new applicants go onto UC. Those calculators are usually pretty good at telling you what you will get.

£20,000 is considered a decent wage by the government although I’d like to see them try and live on it. You will probably get the amount stated on entitled to.

Universal credit replaced tax credits.

UC is also available to people who work and that £59 is probably the working tax credits element.

have a look at the calculator here benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/AboutYou

@CausingChaos2 thanks everyone! I've just put in that we're private renting. Have 1 child and partner is on £20,000 salary and I am unemployed.

Rent is £550 and we don't have any savings etc.

It's come up that were entitled to £420 universal credit a month and £80 child benefit a month. Does this seem quite high? I didn't think we would be able to claim anything as my partner earns... can someone tell me if this seems right or not? Thanks :)

[quote NewMum2021x]@CausingChaos2 thanks everyone! I've just put in that we're private renting. Have 1 child and partner is on £20,000 salary and I am unemployed.

Rent is £550 and we don't have any savings etc.

It's come up that were entitled to £420 universal credit a month and £80 child benefit a month. Does this seem quite high? I didn't think we would be able to claim anything as my partner earns... can someone tell me if this seems right or not? Thanks :) [/quote]
This sounds correct. I was earning £22000 as a single mother and I was getting similar.

Tax credits are closed to new applicants, unless there is any severe disability in the family that you've not mentioned, then UC is what you should apply for.

Do you have a child already? You may have a work commitment until an appropriate point in your pregnancy if not.

Child benefit is entirely separate to UC. UC child element is not CB.

On a lot of the entitle calculators it does give you cb amount as well.
My dh earns more than that but we have 2 children and similar rent and we still qualified for some uc which I was happily surprised at lost my job in march , its not loads but it helps. And the entitled calculator was pretty accurate for us as long as putting all correct details in.

I have also found uc better than when we had tax credits as seems less risk if overpayment.
So I have been doing some temp work and the amount gets adjusted accordingly by them, so last month I had no payment as I had work which is fair enough, this month so far no work so will see a payment next time it is due .

That calculation sounds about right, UC covers in work and well as unemployed benefits, that's why it's called universal. How long ago did you stop working? If it was recently you might qualify for maternity allowance. It's £140ish a week for 39 weeks for people who don't qualify for maternity pay. You need to have worked 13 weeks in the 66 weeks before your due date, so if you lost your job within a year of your due date you might qualify.

Sorry I'm miss remembering, you need to have been employed for 26 weeks, and the use the highest paying 13. Still possible depending on when you're due and when you stopped working.

As you work in recruitment, you probably know this, but now is a good time to apply for jobs because if they are being done WFH then it won't matter where in the country you move to, or when. Continuing after the baby is born is obviously easier if you've secured WFH and can afford childcare on your joint incomes.

It sounds about right to me, OP. The calculators are usually pretty reliable for straightforward cases like yours.

Is army housing not cheaper than £550 or does that include all utilities?