First child; baffled by tax credits etc.

[Expectans]

I am really confused, can anyone help? Figures would be really helpful for me, so I am including them, hope this is ok.

I am currently pregnant with my first child. I am employed full-time. The father of the child is also employed full-time. We will not be together, or living together, but he will be contributing to the child.

When I go back to work, I will be earning £23,000, working 32 hours a week. He will be earning £30,000 as normal. Childcare costs will be £3,000 per term.

What, if any, 'breaks' do we get? I do not understand what tax credits etc. are .

Thank you!

there you go dont expect to understadn them anytime soon thoug, my eldest is 10 in a couple of months and I still dont understadn.

You could get working tax credits, child tax credits, child benefit. Use the calculator to find out how much, if it says you could get over £585 (I think) of child tax credits then you'll also be able to apply for the surestart grant - £500 lump sum for your first child.

I could never work it out so I never applied. I wonder if I could be losing out? Your combined wage is slightly more than me and my husband's.

Thank you for the link.

Stupid question I am sure; but what is tax credit? Does that mean I get tax paid through PAYE refunded?

no just paid into your bank.

With one child the threshold for claiming tax credits is £27K, so on an income of £23 k you will get a little, although they may base it on your previous years earnings so if that was more than £27K you may get nothing. You will also get help towards chidcare costs.

but if you pg by the time you claim won't it be paid as part of Universal Credit , so rules may differ

Duelingfanjo - if your joint income is more than £27 K with one child you won't get anything unless you have childcare costs. The threshold goes up with each child - I think 2 kids is about £32k. If you get DLA for a child your tax credits are also more as you get the disability element too .

It won't go off joint income though if the OP is not living with her partner she will be treated as a single mother and only her income will count.

PearlyWhites, he is not my partner, so I count as a single mother, is that right?

Babyroobs, what help with childcare costs will I get?

Thank you!

Yes you will count as a single mum and the child's father will have to pay maintenance which is not counted as incone.

You will get up to seventy percent of childcare costs