benefits for working parents

[alexwest21]

Hi guys and gals,
looking for advice from others who may have been in a similar situation. My wife and I have worked full time since we were 16 years of age.

When we finally became pregnant my wife found out that she wasn't entitled to maternity pay from her place of work so just has SMP. I'm working full time on low pay and have been told we were entitled to help but now the baby is here apparently we are not entitled to a single penny. So we have to make do with just my wage plus SMP.
I know people say to save up when having a child but if everyone went by the saying "have a baby when you can afford one" there I don't think a lot of people would ever have any.
Anyway, any advice and/or help would be greatly appreciated. :)

I take it you are over the threshold for Working Tax Credit?

Child benefit? Presumably your wage isn't that low if you don't qualify for working or child tax credits. Btw Smp is all that the majority get as maternity pay, relatively few get an enhanced payment from employer.

I think it is over £25,000 pa.

Smp is the norm.
Who told you that you were entitled to help and what help dud they mention. Child benefit is the obvious one.

They have literally said we're entitled to nothing, in currently on £15,000 per annum

Hi Alexwest. Who told you that you're not entitled to anything? I work in Welfare Rights and that advice sounds wrong to me?
I would expect you to be entitled to Child Benefit and Tax Credits.

Try this;

www.entitledto.co.uk/benefits-calculator/

Who are "They"?

Have you spoken to:
Council: Housing benefit and Council Tax credit.
HMRC: Tax credits, both working and child tax
And Child benefit... I don't know who sorts that?

Failing those, Google 'Entitled to benefit calculator'
Fill in all of the info.

I'm not sure you can claim whilst on SMP as they'll take your partners wage oin return into consideration. But I'm not sure on that.

Who told you that? Have you tried to apply for income support or something? You are absolutely entitled to child tax credit and child benefit on that wage. Depending on whether you rent privately or otherwise you may be entitled to housing benefit too.

You are definitely entitled to child benefit, and also possibly child tax credits?

My partner earns 15000 a year and i get 12000 we are entitled to tax credits but that may be because we have three children.

Who is "they" ? Initially tax credits will be assessed on last year's income but you can update that subsequently. Child benefit can be claimed by a resident parent, though repayable on a sliding scale if anyone in the household has income over £50k. It is just over £20 per week for first child and can be backdated up to 3 months iirc.

I wonder if OP has asked at the jobcentre?
Since Child Benefit and Tax Credits are administered by the HMRC the jobcentre staff might have said he was entitled to "nothing" but meant "nothing from us"