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Original poster

Newbis Parents - URGENT finance help

41 replies

Daddy2BabyD · 20/08/2011 16:32

hi there

jsut lookign for help. my partner and I have just had a beautiful baby girl 3 months early:

were are really worried about the finances:

please could someone give us some help on what benefits we can or cant claim for:

i earn £1300 a month after tax

and my partner is only on £480 a month stat maternity.

please could someone tell us what we can claim for or any other assitance.

we are both really stressed and worried. and we dont have enough time to sort out and ring alot of people as we have to go to the hospital 3 times a day for at least 2/3 hours a time.

PLEASE HELP . . .

OP posts:
Anifrangapani · 20/08/2011 16:39

Tax Credits and Child Benefit are the obvious ones.

Apply online for TCs and CB had a form in the Bounty pack.

Look also at the www.directgov.co.uk website for a list of benefits you may be able to claim. There is a form that you can fill in with your details and it will give you a list of what you can claim.

Congratulations btw

RockChick1984 · 20/08/2011 17:41

Congratulations! What is your partner's salary usually, prior to her receiving maternity pay, as this will be the figure used (an allowance will be made for her SMP)?

BertieBotts · 20/08/2011 17:47

Go to entitledto.com and fill in the form on there. It should take about 15 minutes, but it will tell you everything to apply for in just one place. You probably will have to apply to several different places though, but at least you'll know what you are likely to get, so no wasted calls.

Original poster
Daddy2BabyD · 20/08/2011 19:18

my partner works for a recruitment company in an office and egts 800 a month after tax but only works 10months out of the year will this have an impact . .

OP posts:
Original poster
Daddy2BabyD · 20/08/2011 19:35

i have done part of the entitled to form and it says weekly child £12 and no working tax credit how is that . . we will never survive on that

getting scared now . . .

OP posts:
Lilyloo · 20/08/2011 19:40

I doubt you will be entitled to working tax credit but should get child tax credit. You will also get child benefit which is about 20 pound a week. You also need to inform ax credit your partner is on smp as they do not count (think it is 400) of that when claiming.
Congratulations on the birth of your daughter Smile

RockChick1984 · 20/08/2011 20:01

You are on similar wages to my and dh, unfortunately we are in the same situation, earning just over the income thresholds to get much help. With regards the time your partner is on SMP she unfortunately will only be able to take off as long as your finances allow, did u put any money aside during her pregnancy to help you with this? I think if you will have childcare costs once she is back at work you will get some additional help towards these, up to max 70% of your total childcare costs. Have you looked at ways to cut your expenditure, eg if you have a mortgage many companies allow you to take a payment holiday while she is on maternity leave?

Lilyloo · 20/08/2011 20:17

The new threshold for tax credits is 40 k for joint incomes

Original poster
Daddy2BabyD · 20/08/2011 20:22

well our join threshold income is only25k according to both our p60's

OP posts:
tallwivglasses · 20/08/2011 20:30

Congratulations - and well done for being so practical at a time that must be pretty emotional and stressful for you both.

You can't claim anything until you've registered the birth, which you have to make an appointment for and that could take a few weeks - so make that a priority for Monday. Good luck Smile

Original poster
Daddy2BabyD · 20/08/2011 20:40

we haave already registered the our baby we had to do that straight away . .

whats the next step

thanks for everyones help by the way

OP posts:
RockChick1984 · 20/08/2011 20:43

There will be a form in your wife's bounty pack from the hospital, to claim child benefit. Send that off with baby's birth certificate, and once you receive the letter awarding you the child benefit you can ring up about claiming tax credits.

Original poster
Daddy2BabyD · 20/08/2011 21:28

if our joint income is around 25k can we still get tax credits ?

also is tehre anything else we can apply for ?

we have been told therei s all sorts of extra income's.

some one mentions £190 off someone forgot who they mentioned does anyone know ?

OP posts:
LoveBeingAtHomeOnMyOwn · 20/08/2011 21:31

Do you mean to help you but stuff now that you've not got yet?

lachesis · 20/08/2011 21:35

You're thinking of the old Health in Pregnancy Grant. Sorry, that was ceased in January. You do not qualify for The Sure Start Grant.

It's really Child Tax Credits and Child Benefit that's the 'all sorts of extra income'.

Cheria · 20/08/2011 21:41

EBAY! That's all! I bought everything on there including cot, clothes, pram and car seat (shock horror). Didn't have the choice, everything was great, and cheap.

Lilyloo · 20/08/2011 21:43

Not sure there is all sorts of extra income beyond cb and tc tbh

Original poster
Daddy2BabyD · 20/08/2011 22:09

we have bought all the items she needs cot clthes etc but its just after that we think we are going to struggle . . we are getting really frustrated knowing that we work really hard and we plan for a baby and we know that we are going to be stretched to thepoint of breaking, when others get most things handed to them on a plate and then abuse it. . .

it such an emotional time for us and we feel like were on our own apart from the replies on here we have no help what so ever . . we just dont want to struggle, as it means our daughter will struggle and she does not deserve that . . .

anyone one where we can get some good freebies ?

OP posts:
gapants · 20/08/2011 22:15

bulk buy when the offers are on in the big supermarkets re nappies, wipes etc.

freebies...dont know

sure start centre will have more information and gives lots of free parent and baby classes.

lachesis · 20/08/2011 22:31

Charity shops, Gumtree, Freecycle.

lachesis · 20/08/2011 22:32

Even for people on benefits, the 'extra incomes' is child tax credit and child benefit.

BertieBotts · 20/08/2011 22:34

Please, try not to worry too much about the money. I know this must be an extremely emotional time for you. I have friends whose baby was born 3 months premature (in fact they were supposed to be in our antenatal group, but of course missed the entire course - a couple of us ran into the mum by chance at a baby group, so we adopted her into our postnatal meet-ups) - try to be aware that everything is going to seem SO MUCH WORSE when you are tired, stressed and worried and your plans have changed so suddenly.

Things are going to be fine. Money will be tight, but you will manage. Babies really don't cost as much as you think. It might seem like some people get stuff handed to them on a plate, but you're already better off than they are, or you'd be getting the handouts as well. But when everything is this strained, it's not helping to focus on the things you can't change. Just apply for what you have been told, and then try to focus on yourselves and the baby and each other and seeing what you can do to make things easier, even if that is just trying to make sure you talk to each other about your worries.

Once the baby is home hopefully things will be less stressful and you can just try to concentrate on being a new family. Congratulations BTW :) You could perhaps try to find out what groups are on in your area for mums of new babies so that when your wife is feeling up to it, she can take LO along, which should get her out of the house and she will probably meet people with babies the same age as well, which will be invaluable in building up a support network. You could ask at the hospital if there are any kinds of support groups for parents of premature babies locally too.

sleepevader · 20/08/2011 22:37

You need to claim Child Benefit (form in bounty pack)

Ring Tax credits ASAP and get a tax credits form sent, fill in, tick box to say tax credits claimed and return ASAP. When Child benefit awarded ring them and give them child benefit reference number.

I can imagine the cost of hospital travel/parking is crippling you. Maybe ring tommys helpline and see if they know of any grants etc?

sleepevader · 20/08/2011 22:38

PS has your partner already started receiving her SMP yet?

Original poster
Daddy2BabyD · 20/08/2011 22:40

hi bertibotts

thanks for the kind words and we deeply aprreciate them, we will take on board your advice, we understand things will be tight but we will have to manage . . .

thanks to everyone for the kind words, you are all great people.

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