Stay on tax credits or willingly swap to UC

[akmum18]

I’m currently pregnant and I’m trying to work out what would be best for my family since my husband left me. I receive a small amount of tax credits at the moment as I’m on a low income (the plan was to go full time before finding out about baby) I know I will not be able to pay the childcare costs myself to go back to my job after maternity leave due to the hours and no family to help. I also don’t drive and childcare is scarce here as I live in a small village in the middle of no where. My main option now seems to be to give up my job after maternity leave ends and swap to universal credit temporarily but I’m nervous as I have heard a lot of bad things about it I don’t know if we’ll financially survive and I won’t be protected by the ‘transfer’ to UC from tax credits if I do it willingly. Second option is to find a different job ASAP and just deal with childcare to avoid a swap to universal credits, However I know I will struggle to pay rent and bills on top of the childcare shortfall by returning to work. Has anyone else been in this situation and how did you deal with it? Sorry if this offends anyone but please don’t make it a benefit bashing thread I didn’t know my marriage would fail and leave me in this mess. Tia

Not real advice what's better UC or tax credit, but when on UC you are agreeing to look for work. Some employers might be flexible with hours, or maybe you can thing of being self employed. UC can give you help with that.

You could use this benefits calculator to find out benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/AboutYou to see if UC would work for you
If you have a child under one the main carer doesn't have to work and after that can still place limits on hours of work etc

I don't understand how you are still on tax credits ? When you split with your partner you should have moved to UC anyway ? Is he still on oyur tax credits claim?

AFAIK you can't "temporarily" swap to UC. Once you're on it, you're on it, you can't go back to tax credits. We made the mistake of switching & lost out massively. Definitely check before switching.

Me and dh swapped. I was a sahm for MH reasons I had to quit my job after many yrs of service.
We were on TC and got 150 a month as they look at previous yrs.
CAB advised us to look at UC. We now get 880 a months. Touch wood only issue we have had is last month when his works didnt process wage on time so didn't fall. In that assessment period. They paid us double and wanted him to do a. Commitments thing as thought he was unemployed.
He called them they could see what happened and told.m us to keep the extra to Cover this month when it would look like he had 2 pays despite not..

Do think of the longer term when you make a decision.

As it stands, from what you are saying, you are living in a small village, with no good public transport, not infrastructure to support you as a working mum, and no family close by to help.

Do you really need to stay there? Wouldn't you be better off moving closer to your job now? If you do, are you sure you wouldn't be able to afford to go back to work, if not ft, pt? Have you worked out what your budget would be?

If it is not financially worthwhile, do remember that you will have to start looking for work again when you child turns 3. Again, you'll be in a much better position to do so if you are living close to where the jobs are.

Don't fall into the trap of isolating yourself where it isn't much of an issue when you are home with your baby, but can definitely become so when you are being pressured to look for work.

Check out the entitled to website.

It compares a TC claim to UC claim.

I doubt you'd be better off on UC at the moment.

How come you are on tax credits op? Presumable your dh left you in the last few months if you are pregnant and that would mean your joint tax credits claim would end and you would make a single claim for Universal credit. This has been the process for some time now ?

I would advise you move to a larger community before the baby is born. This is your chance to do this. Living so rural without a car will be very hard with a baby.

Talk to Citizens Advice - they can help you