Housing benefit, your experinces & is my head in the clouds?

[FluffyDucky]

Hi all,
I could do with some advice. My husband and I work FT, I earn 15k and year, he just under. I am expecting our first baby in Dec and I really worried about money.
We don't get any benefits atm as I understand we are not entitled to any. We pay £680pcm for our flat (private rent) plus about £130pcm council tax.
I am worried we are not going to be able to afford our flat once I go on mat leave yet I don't know if we can afford to move. Council housing here is hard to come by and has long waiting lists.

Could you please tell me your experience of benefits etc on mat leave and if you found it hard to get them? We are going to try to go to CAB on a day off together. I don't know if I'm just panicking.
Thank you x

Sorry I don't know, but I think CAB is your best bet. Good luck with everything.

What about Child Tax Credit? You will definitely get Child Benefit?

www.gov.uk/benefits-adviser

this is handy to work out what you may be entitled to in your circumstances

Good luck with the CAB but also just want to say you may be pleasantly surprised by much you actually save on mat leave through not travelling, buying lunches and all the associated costs of work. When it boils down to it, babies don't need much.

Trouble is ballroom we spend as little as possible at the moment. I walk to work and take a packed lunch (live 15 mins from work) it's my husband who travels. We don't smoke or drink and don't go out much.
Thank you for the link Pod, I will check that out tomorrow x

Oh I see. Was hoping it might be of help to you as I know I spent a fortune on trains getting to and from work. I'm in NI so it might be different as we have rates rather than council tax but we did get a certain amount of rates relief when I was on mat leave. Maybe something to check out?

Good luck. It's horrible worrying about money at such a happy time of your lives.

If you earn over d £27 K joint income you will not get any tax credits. Tax credits are based on the previous financial year so once you are on mat leave it may be worth you ringing them with details of your reduced income, you may then get a small amount of tax credits. You may also get some help with childcare costs once you go back to work. Almost £30k between you seems like a reasonable income, are you paying off debts or something which mean you are struggling? Try Ebay for baby equipment, you can get things very cheap.

Thanks Babyroobs. We are not struggling at the moment, we do have a loan repayment each month about £200 but generally we end up in the black. I'm just really worried for when I go on mat leave and our income will drop. Really don't to have to move!

While you are on Mat Leave you might find that you will be entitled to some housing benefit in the short term. Private rents are high and as long as you are not in a Mayfair Penthouse then some support might well come your way while you need it.

It's a bit of a shock when the Mat Pay kicks in and your n come is suddenly so reduced. It is worth applying at the time just to see, I was entitled £9 a week HB while I was in work but I don't realise it so never claimed. Ah well, we live and learn.