Need Help. Benefits and starting work.

[londongirl1978]

Hi

New to the forum.

I'm a mum of a 3 month old.

My partner lost his job 3 weeks back. He was earning 34k a year self employed.
He has now been offered a job for 21k a year but he is not sure if he can take it.
We have put through all our claims for housing benefit and tax credit. And he is waiting on claiming jobseekers.
Our rent is 1k a month and I am on statuary maternity till July but won't be returning to work.
We are not sure how much help we will be entitled to as it's a massive drop in wages and I only get £140 a week maternity pay.
I see tax credits go on last year's earning but that is relevant now as we are struggling now. That money has gone.
I have tried the entitledto calculator but I'm not sure how much to believe what it says.
Any help and advice would be much appreciated.

Do you think we would be able to claim anything seeing as his wage is low and I'm on maternity pay aswell.

Thanks in advance

I live in Scotland and I'm on 22k and believe me that didn't stretch far when exDP was out of a job and we had a 2 yr old to contend with.

Can't imagine how difficult that would be in London.

Could you look for work in a nursery- then baby can go into same nursery probably with a good discount. I'd think staff would have a reduced rate, you'd be able to get to work without issues of working around drop offs and pick ups of childcare in any other job. If you were a nanny I'd think it would be easy on the DBS check front too.

You will have earnt too much already this year for any help. The cut off for child tax credits with one child and no childcare costs is around £26k. You could apply for tax credits on an estimated income for next tax year, although initially you would be given a nil award based on last years earnings. You may still be very close to the threshold with mat pay on top of his new wage ( if he took the job he has been offered ), although you can discount the first £100 of smp for up to 39 weeks. Could you consider evening/ weekend work to fit around your husbands job - this is what we've done for the past 15 years and is what most couples s know do.

Do you live in an area which has gone Full Service UC? This makes a big difference.