Stressed about SMP

[roundaboutflo]

I'm due on the 24th of February and started my maternity leave on the 4th of December (early I know but I couldn't sit any longer so it was that it take sickness leave which would have financially crippled me earlier) so I'm on my '90% of pay' this month and January which is doable but then I'm down to SMP.

I'm so stressed about it because i honestly don't know how we're going to cover the bills. I've checked with citizens advice and myself and my partner are entitled to a grand total of £31 a month in UC (even with that there's a 12 week waiting list). Our household bills and rent come to £1,000 (this is all essentials we don't have Sky, Netflix or anything like that). On top of that we both have cars we have to pay for and can't get out of + car insurance etc.

I am meant to be on Maternity leave until September as my partner said he'd be happy to cover the house bills and rent but now he's saying he might not be able to do it (bit late when I'm due 24th if February and bills come out 1st March) even if I go back to work we need childcare as non of my family live near and with both of us working until 10pm at night nursery's are out of the question so would have to be a nanny (not cheap)

I honestly can't see a way out of this shirt if leaving my partner and being a single mom but no part of me wants to break up a happy family just because we can't afford to live together. It's making me so depressed I just cried at my midwife appointment today and all they say is 'oh I'm sure it will be ok'.

Any advice?

Look, if you physically don’t have enough to pay “your share” of the bills, then you cannot pay it, can you? So your partner will have to pay more than 50%.

This is not a thing he “can’t be sure” of.

And it’s not a happy partnership or family situation if he’s not willing to pay for his child.

You cannot earn money on maternity leave at least for some months. You are doing childcare.

When you can earn money again, childcare will need to be paid for.

These are joint expenses.

Work out a joint household budget with joint income and joint outgoings.

Then work out what to cut out.

Go from there.

If plan to go back early but do a staged return. I did this. Started at 2 working back up to 5 days over 3 or 4 months. It worked really well. I got paid but still got a good chunk of baby time.

You will accrue annual leave while off, when does your leave year end could you use some upfront(or maybe you have if 6 weeks @ 90% rate is up to January) and either offset full time hours as pp suggested or take it before returning. Your 90% rate should include any bonus payments paid during the qualifying weeks. Why has your oh not secured more hours yet if that was the plan?

We've spoke about it again today as I said I need answers sooner not later. And he said yeah sorry I was just stressed last night I can pay the bills so I'm much happier now

Yeah I always overpay tax but everytime I claim it in April it normally takes until October when it's 'calculated' on HMRCs side