Money struggles after a baby

[Newbee123]

Hi Ladies , wanted to advice please. I work on a 0 hour contract so I don't get maternity pay from my workplace. I get statutory pay from the government. Was wondering how it works? And has anyone ever been on it ? And one last questions what benefits would I be entitled too after maternity stops? My husband is on a 30k salary would I be entitled to anything? To help with rent or bills.

@TeddyTeddy

I did using that website

I suspect the £400 a month includes at least £150 a month child benefit which is subject to the higher charge so in fact you'd have to pay that back As your partner earns over £50k

Probably! My point was just to say not to assume that the OP wouldn’t be entitled to anything. Maybe they would, maybe they wouldn’t! Let’s say I only get £200 in the real sense - still something!

So you qualified before he earnt 70k? I’m really sorry but the blanket understanding that your partner earns 70k with no dip in income, I stand by my comment you would not qualify for any UC. And yes you will need to pay back all the child benefit for the tax year

Does it matter if I have to pay back some child benefit? I really don’t know what to tell you. He was put on 4/5th of his usual pay of £70k, so I panicked and started a claim, thinking redundancy was likely and it was good to get in the queue for UC (I had no idea how it worked and thought it could take some time). The first payment was £1.8k, as there were no deductions based on income for some reason. The next month he was still on 4/5ths pay and we got about £800. The next month he was back on full pay and it was £400 (I’m rounding down slightly for these). We’re now into a new job and won’t qualify. Yes of course - he might be taxed the child benefit, they might for some reason demand the whole lot back. But the fact is the money was put in my bank account. Anyway - we don’t know the OP’s circumstances. I really was just trying to point out that it is worth investigating universal credit at least, especially as I didn’t know if the OP was renting or where she lives etc.

Your point with the greatest of respect TeddyTeddy was wrong and misleading. No one gets UC earning 70k and gives the complete wrong impression of UC. Obviously if people hit hard times they have the right to apply for UC, that’s what it’s there for.
I earn less, pay part of my CB back (so no judgement or issue there), and would never qualify for anything.
I wish everyone well but please don’t put misleading info out there.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers forgive me but which part of my last post is misleading? @ivfbeenbusy seems to agree with me, yes there is a child benefit component which may be paid back, but what would you call the rest of the money if not universal credit. My parter’s monthly salary equated to the equivalent of £70k per year, and we received a small (but not inconsequential) amount of universal credit on that basis.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Your point with the greatest of respect TeddyTeddy was wrong and misleading. No one gets UC earning 70k and gives the complete wrong impression of UC. Obviously if people hit hard times they have the right to apply for UC, that’s what it’s there for. I earn less, pay part of my CB back (so no judgement or issue there), and would never qualify for anything. I wish everyone well but please don’t put misleading info out there.

This is utter bollox !!!

Go on to 'entitled to'
Do the calculation.

A couple living in central London. Paying rent of 3k a month on a three bed flat.
Parent one earns 70k and puts 10% into a pension.
Parent 2 is a sahm

2 kids aged 11 and 14 of different sexes.

UC for the month is £553.78 a month.
No child benefit.

This is not including any childcare
No disabled children.

It ALL depends where you live, what your circumstances are and HOW MUCH your rent is. !

So please don't write stuff that simply isn't true !!

Where people live is a choice, you don’t get to pick a 3k a month home and bill the tax payer !

There is something seriously wrong with the system if it is topping up families on 70k! I would check you haven’t made a mistake @TeddyTeddy or they might come asking for it to be paid back.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers you don’t get to pick any home and have the taxpayer pay the full amount, only a contribution depending on the area you live. You might find this website interesting. lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/search.aspx

@SandysMam yes I was quite surprised, but here we are. If we have to pay anything back we will. I might bow out of this chat now as I atleast feel validated by @disorganisedsecretsquirrel, thank you!

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Where people live is a choice, you don’t get to pick a 3k a month home and bill the tax payer !

That is an irrelevant statement for benefit purposes !! You really think that certain areas should only be for 'rich people ' ?? Like moneyed ghettos.. ?? That you could live in a home for 30 years and easily afford it.. but have a serious illness preventing work ... and you should move ? No thank god .. the local housing allowance system is bad enough. Meant to represent 'average rental costs' but doesn't come close.. more like average cost circa 1995... so even now people living on £400 a month 'personal allowance' are expected to pay a top up on their rent because the housing allowance is normally about £50-100 short.

An people not grasp the simple maths.. if you live in a rental property in Bolton you May be earning 30k a year but are FAR better off than someone living on 70k in Central London .. and the London family will get help but the Bolton family won't.

it really isn't hard.. it's about how much disposable income you have after essential bills. These include Rent, Council Tax (and Childcare for a family of 2 working parents or a single working parent family. )

disorganisedsecretsquirrel there is no need to be aggressive, I can grasp the concept of disposable income. But there is an element of that that is choice. All the UC calculation websites on the sparse info of 2 adults 2 kids, family income £70k pa prove that the government doesn’t give you any UC.
I really don’t care to argue this further, it’s like a daily mail article at this point.

No it's NOT an 'Daily Mail argument' it's FACT. !!

I have worked in the DWP and it's predecessors for 32 years. There has NEVER been a requirement for people to move from the area they live in... and have lived in (rented) and afforded for many years, before some type of disaster struck . Be that unemployment or illness. ?or rents outstripping income)

Speaking as an HCP living in a high-rent area, if all healthcare (and other essential) workers moved because their income was insufficient to meet living costs, what would that mean for essential services in that area?!
OP, do the online calculator and go from there (if you haven't already!)
benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/AboutYou