Maternity pay

[Kell91]

Anyone who received statutory maternity pay?? Did you manage to claim any extra help with tops up from tax credits while your income dropped for the 9 months?. It'll be around 10,000 a year less after the first 6 weeks of leave so we will be around £400 a month down from what I'd normally earn if not on leave.
My partner has a Job but he isn't really an high earner so we wouldnt really manage being £400 a month down every month tax credits calculator says we would get extra but not sure how accurate that is so thought I'd ask here we already receive £74 child tax a week and cb £140 a month.

No -one can make a new claim for tax credits. You would need to claim Universal credit.

Unlikely unless he's on very low income

Sorry just seen you already claim tax credits, so yes your tax credits should go up if it's your second child.

You would need to claim universal credit. If you go onto entitled to and put in the details it will give you an idea of the amount you can expect to receive.

It wouldn't be a new claim we already get tax credits for a lower amount.

Yes only £16000 a year.

Our income will drop by around £3300 for 33 weeks so it's quiet a drop. I know i dont get anything for a 3rd child born after April 2017. We used to receive £119 for 2 children a week and £20 working tax until I started my job so I am asking if we would receive the help while my income reduces its only temporarily until i return back to work.

I used the calculator putting our earnings together while on mat leave it gave me this figure for my family forgetting about 3rd child I know i won't receive anthing extra for.

We already get tax credits just a lower amount because of our income. But if our income drops surely we'd be entitled to extra until I return to work il be £3300 down for 33 weeks of my leave dropping our income by quiet a lot.

You can always return to work earlier ?

you will get extra tax credits but it may not be payable until the following tax year. It's not a live system like UC. How old is your eldest child?

I don't want to leave my baby ealier than 9 months old.

My oldest is 11. It just means struggling for 5 months with a drop in income of nearly £2000 pound until April il report change in income see if that works.

Have you checked to see if you would be better off on UC ?

No I'm horrified by the thought of universal credit.

Only asking because loads of people are so much better off on it and everyone will be switching to Uc soon anyway.

Im dreading how well pay gas and electricity and food while on maternity if we don't get help while im earning less tax credits changed my reward amount during year surely they can deal with reduction of income to and adjust it for 33 weeks.

I know im dreading the change. I hear a lot of bad stories about UC Leaving families living out of food banks.

You need to ring them and give a new estimate of what your earnings will be and ask them to do a mid year re-calculation.

Thank-you i will do soon as get my last full wage on the 3rd December so they got a month to sort it then.

Could you go back at (say) 5 months and dp take the rest off as shared parental leave?

Personally that's to early for me to go back my partner rather be the one leaving our baby he starts at 8 and home for 2 his work is literally around the corner lol and hel get full wage no reductions from company he works for they even pay full when there sick lucky bugger lol.

I work until 5-10pm at night 5 evenings a week 40 minutes walk there and back he can do the 2 minute walk instead 🤣

Given that it's financial possible for you all to be financially fine if he shares the leave but your personal preference is that you have the extra time off, then you have to find a way to make that work for you without expecting the state to fund the shortfall.

UC isn’t as scary as it seems and you may be way more better off.