Anyone know anything about the Sure Start Maternity Grant?

[NatalieJane]

Basically, just wondering if anyone knows if there is a cut off point salery wise to be accepted for it? DH is on about 22k but with the over time he does, it brings it up to about 36k, are they likely to tell me to piss off if I apply for the SSMG?

Hmm. Yes, they are, sorry.

If you get over £600 a year tax credits, you won't get the grant.

The reason I am asking is if DH takes two weeks off after the baby is born, he won't bring home enough money that month to cover our bills (and we don't have anything excessive, or that we can cut down on that month for or whatever)

We get £544.57 a year for tax credits.

Sorry, meant to say, is that all they base it?

Just got mine. If you get more than about £600 tax creditsyou DO get it. If you get less you don't. Sounds crazy but they work it out that the more family tax credits you get then the less you earn so you are entitled but if you get a small amount per week/month they assume you are earning enough iyswim.

Natalie sounds like you wont get it but they say if you are unsure to fll the form in anyway. I sent my form monday and got a letter today.

my friend rung up today about it, if you get £548 a year or more in child tax credit then you can get it. She missed out by £2!!

I see what you mean Magnolia. On a normal month we are comfortable money wise, and if everything goes OK with the labour and birth etc. then he won't need to take the full two weeks off, but if I end up with complications or a CS, we don't have any family close by, so he would have to be here to help me out with the baby and DS. It doesn't help that if the baby is a bit late (as DS was) the chunk of money he looses will come out of January's wage, which is a bugger every year! Oh well, thanks anyway

Looks like we will miss out by £3 then!

Maybe it is still worth trying, can you down load the forms from anywhere on the net? I have no idea where the nearest job centre is!

Are your tax credits based in this year's income or last year's? Is this year's going to be less than last year's? I ask because I applied for the grant when I realised that we were eligible. Dh had just started his own business so his income was a loss for the first year, and I had just had dd and was having a year's maternity leave so our income plummeted. Initially our tax credits were too high because they were based on my full time salary and dh's previous salary. I rang them and estimated what the current year would be, ie mine was half and dh's a loss, which they deducted from my income. This made us eligible.

No our income has been the same for a few years. I guess all we can do is apply and hope for the best.

Shame .

NatalieJane - you can download the form from the jobcentreplus website, Ill see if i can find the link again, I had this afternoon! lol

www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2002/maternity/index.asp

I cant do links on here sorry!

But you should find the download further down the page!

hope this helps, give it a go!

I dont know If Im right in thinking, that once baby is here, your child tax credit element will be higher, so you might qualify then? You can claim it up until the baby is 3 months old i think x x

you have to be on the highest rate of tax credit

Thanks very much, I will save the link and wait until after the baby is born to see if that will make any difference.