Am I really entitled to nothing?

[Alfayxo]

Basically I went to citizens advice as I was confused as online calculators said I was entitled to nothing. They told me to go onto their website to “turn2us” calculator (already used it but that’s the only advice they had, helpful) which I did and it said that I’m entitled to zero. Not a penny. After the baby comes it is the 20.70 but that’s all.
Here’s my story:

So I’m now 25 weeks pregnant and on a PGCE primary course. Because of how my course works, I have to go on my maternity leave in two weeks (before my final placement). I’ve been applying for part time jobs but I’m visibly pregnant so people haven’t been hiring me (even though I have all the experience for these jobs and even though discrimination against pregnancy is illegal, it’s obvious why they do it). Due to my PGCE and final year of uni last year, I haven’t worked since end of December 2017. Therefore I know I’m not entitled to maternity pay or allowance.
I currently live with my fiancé with my parents. He earns (as of a week ago) 26,000. However, before he met me he got himself into a LOT of debt and therefore struggles with money and is paying off overdrafts and loans so can’t really support me as well as our baby. We only pay 200 rent at my parents and we are on the waiting list for a council house.

So can anyone tell me why I’m not entitled to anything? I’ve looked for part time work and can’t get any. I don’t really want to go into work STRAIGHT after labour but I know I’m going to have to as I can’t afford to live otherwise. I’m getting myself really run down stressing about it all.

This is not benefit fraud if they are genuinely not living together!

Actually if they are in a relationship and he is supporting her they may be investigated and considered to be committing fraud. Living separately to claim benefits is fraudulent.

The priority here is to get the debt payments down to a fixed amount. Look at IVAs etc or stepchange. As you are pregnant there is a perfectly good reason to need this, no shame in it, I know some very comfortably off people who have needed it at various points. Pay what you can. You can relook at this when you are back in work.

Others have made a good point though, the way the system works makes it not exactly an incentive to be in a couple if its low incomes. That's why you get so many people telling porkies pretending to be single, when they are not etc and I'm not being all Daily Mail (I am left of centre politically) but speaking from knowing several couples who did this in order to get by. They certainly were not having the life of riley. .

So can anyone tell me why I’m not entitled to anything?

Universal credit for a couple over 25 no children no housing costs is just less £500 month, with one child its just under £850 a month therefore your partner is earning well over the maximum to support you both. (less if your under 25)

He has approx. £400 week with £50 housing costs (assuming the 200 is monthly) so if it wasn't for his debt you would have £350 disposable income a week and should manage.

Why don't you ask CAB to help with addressing his debt, as others have said this would seem to be priority right now. Benefits take no account of your outgoings other than childcare. And if he is struggling on 26k then how are you going to manage when you move into your own place?

If you find somewhere to live you could get help with the rent and council tax but this also depends on how any student finance is calculated.

If you claimed contribution based JSA right now the NI contributions for April 2016 - April 2018 would be used so if you worked up until Dec 17 you may just have paid enough depending on your earnings level.

You'll get child benefit when she's born - £82.80 a month.

You may also get Maternity Allowance, which is essentially that the government pay you a small maternity leave payment each month but I'm not sure what the entitlement thresholds are for that.

Your fiancé will need to look into a different way to pay his debts back in the short term because he needs to support HIS family.

Apply anyway calculations aren’t 100%

Either way, I would be looking at full time employment after the baby is born (until I return to studies next March) anyway so we should be fine financially soon. I was just worried about the time up till then. But I think it simply means I’ll just have to get into work sooner after the baby than first thought. I’ll get my OH to look into all the options about his debts that’s you’ve suggested. All VERY helpful!

what usually is the minimum amount your partner can earn to be deemed as financially stable enough to support both?
You are a partnership, all your money and all his money is deemed to be both your money. It's not about him "earning enough to support you".

You may also get Maternity Allowance
You can't get this if you've been a student for most of the recent past.

You have a partner who earns and you have no landlord as such. Honestly, what ‘help’ was you expecting? Your partner is expected to provide for his child!

The OP is going to be a teacher. Commuting benefit fraud or bending the rules in any way could ruin her career for the rest of her life if she gets caught as it will show up as a criminal record. It’s really not worth it.

I know someone who was offered a great job as a prison officer, loads more money than she had been on and because of past benefit fraud she couldn’t start the job.

Is your boyfriend over 25 ? If so you would get the higher Uc couples rate and once your baby is born you would get whats called a work allowance ( an amount that is disregarded before wages reduce your Uc amount). At the moment for you once your baby arrives this would be £409 and this is set to rise further in April, so depending on your partners net pay after pension/ tax etc you may well be entiltled to a small amount of UC once your baby is born. When you used the calculator did you put the figures in as if you had already had the baby?

If you worked for 26 weeks out of 66 (about 1 year 3 months) before your due date you can apply for maternity allowance. It doesn't have to be consecutive or for the same employer so try to think of any part time or holiday work you've done around your studies. You mentioned 2 weeks at the beginning of your pregnancy, did you work over the summer?

Self employed work counts too if you make national insurance contributions, so if you can make money tutoring or something and sign up to voluntarily type 2 ni on your self assessment (in April) you can get some of your weeks that way.

To put this into perspective a single adult receiving UC job seekers contributions based benefit receives £73 a week. Plus you would get your rent paid, if you rent. All living costs like food, transport and bills would need to be paid out of this.

You can check your National Insurance Contributions here www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record

You need to claim child benefit when the child is born, because this pays your National Insurance when you are not working and towards your state pension
www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

If you are a student, is there a hardship fund that you can claim ?
Can your course offer you some advice about extra funds for parents, free childcare etc

If you are only paying £200 as a couple to rent with your parents that is a very low amount. If you lived somewhere else, it would cost you lots more, plus bills, council tax

Living separately to claim benefits is not benefit fraud as long as they really do live separately.

More and more couples live apart because they cannot afford to live together.

It's a real grey area. If you get investigated and it's clear you are a family/couple then you can be taken to court.

Sorry to sound unsympathetic but my DH was an NQT teacher when we had DD. Our mortgage alone was about £900 and his salary was £18,500. We had all our other bills on top of that like council tax, water, gas, electricity, food etc Yes I got maternity pay but only for about 12 weeks. I was back at work when DD was 4 months old. We got probably £100 month in tax credits? They didn't take into account anything like petrol or mortgage costs. You will need to get back to work!!! Like I had to.

Not to add to your woes, but you mentioned that your parents are on benefits because your Dad is severely disabled. Does that include Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit by any change? If it does, have they declared that you and your DP are living with them? Because there is a non-dependent deduction in those benefits, which means that they deduct an amount for the fact that you and your partner should be contributing to the cost of living at the property, and if they haven't declared that you are living there, it could put them at risk of a benefit fraud claim.

*chance, not change.

Lougle - is there definitely a non dependent deduction if her dad is on PIP ?

Additionally, sorry, if they are on benefits, and they have declared you as living with them, have they declared the £200 pm income from you?

Babyroobs you are right! I had no idea about that. So that's one worry out of the way. PIP or DLA at mid/high rate.

Yeah they are have declared that we are living with them. This is the only reason my parents wanted rent from us (bless them 💖) is to balance out any losses to them

And yes they are aware of the 200 pcm as well! They’ve had to send off my OH salary and everything but it hasn’t created much damage to them. Living with them was their idea as soon as I found out about my pregnancy. Could not be more grateful for them both!

I should mention that the only difference to payments for my family was they had to pay council tax, which is what the rent money is predominantly covering. (I think anyway)

Brilliant, I'm glad. It's so hard when you're on benefits, because every little change in circumstances has an impact. I just didn't want them to get in trouble if they were unaware.