Why won’t I get UC on maternity leave?

[MiaRosexo]

Hey ladies,

Just wondering if anyone could help me with understanding universal credit whilst on maternity leave please and how people qualify? I know that sounds silly but I don’t know if I’m missing something.

I am the highest earner in my household and we will be trying for a baby soon - we are already putting money into a pot as we want to be financially prepared as possible. My partner earns £31k a year and I will only receive SMP. It doesn’t even cover my half of the bills, we own our own house too.

I’ve done the online calculators and we will be entitled to nothing - I’m hoping we will be fine if we can save enough so this is more a question of curiosity really, how little do partners have to earn to be able to claim UC? I’m sure I’ve seen on here and other forums that some partners earn really good wages yet they’ve still qualified for SMP? To me my partner’s wage is quite average, am I missing something here? I think I wrongly presumed we would also be entitled!

thank you :)

Did you do the calculations as if you've already had the baby and receiving smp? If you own a house you get more work allowance before they start deducting. Also any pension payments ect.

You won't get any UC because you earn to much between you.

Probably an unpopular opinion, but I personally don't think it's right that 2 couples could earn say £2,500 a month. One is renting and would get money to cover their rent, while the home earners get nothing to help with their mortgage. Because the mortgage still has to be paid, and means the second couple are left with much less to live on. Having a mortgage doesn't magically make food cost less.

It will be the housing allowance. Try putting that you live in a private rental and use your mortgage amount as the rental amount in the calculator. Not that you are entitled to the UC housing element if you own your own home but it will illustrate the difference.

Why should the state buy someone a house? If you have a mortgage, you should have income protection insurance to cover the mortgage if you lose your job or are sick. If you are planning to take maternity leave, you need to save 🤷‍♀️

If only. Wages are less than £2,000 per month but if we earn over about £2,500 we get no UC that month.

I was more just curious as I’d heard a lot of “my partner earns a good amount and we still qualify” so I was just wondering if I was missing something

Plenty say their partner doesn't live with them.

Why should the state pay the landlords mortgage? Let those renting use their wages instead.

Why should the state buy someone a house? If you have a mortgage, you should have income protection insurance to cover the mortgage if you lose your job or are sick. If you are planning to take maternity leave, you need to save

Why does the above not apply to renters?

We won’t be on £63k though… I never mentioned anything about our wages once we’re back in full time employment. I’m talking about the specific 9 months to 1 year. We will be on £31k plus my SMP. I was under the assumption that £31k is relatively low these days as the average wage now is around £35k but maybe I’m naive

Just to clarify this line was a typo - I’m sure I’ve seen on here and other forums that some partners earn really good wages yet they’ve still qualified for SMP?

I was meant to say still qualified for UC

I think it’s because of childcare costs that people on a decent salary are eligible.

Well given that some on MN describe minimum wage as ‘a good wage’, it’s easy to see why some of them claim to ‘qualify for UC even with a partner on a good wage’

Unfortunately that’s just the way it is, most people don’t qualify during maternity under similar circumstances. I only had 8 weeks of maternity leave before going back as we couldn’t afford for me to not be working, our household income is 40k. Luckily free childcare hours are now offered, I’m sure you can get 30 free hours per week from September this year from 9 months?

You can manage the full year on those wages.
You just have to plan ahead.
Save as much as possible, cut out unnecessary subscriptions, memberships, takeaways, excess spending etc.
Plan batch cooked meals, freeze as needed. This helps in more ways than just saving money.
Where possible stock up on necessities when theyre on sale/promo.
Buy unbranded nappies. Huge savings to be had there.
Have a budget and stick to it. Start asap. To see whay works.
Plan to buy second hand for the baby and yourselves if needed. Babies grow so quickly and as plus its better for the environment.
Research free baby classes and days out.
Use your KIT days to top up your income. You'll get 10 and can space them out accordingly.
Don't use up your full holiday allowance pre may leave. Thay way you can carry any extra days over and use them to supplement you during the 13 weeks of unpaid may leave. (I did this and was paid more than when I was on weeks 7 to 33 of smp) or use accrued holiday to phase yourself back into work. If allowed.

We didn't use savings or had any help from UC. we are middle earners with a household income of circa £68k. We live I'm the SE, in a commuter town, own mortgaged home, one other child plus costs associated with them. No family help.

I had the year off and we still manged ro have the ofd takeaway, a few weekends away and a holiday. Our lifestyle overall didn't change hugely but we did trim out all excess spending and did whay was listed above. Finding it more of struggle now thay I'm back to work and having to okay nursery fess plus commuting costs.

I know you didn't ask this but just edited to share with you thay it can be done, if you plan and are sensible. Good luck

Presumably because insurance companies would only insure healthy employed people for unemployment and ill health. So nobody who is out of work or disabled would ever be able to rent…

Insurance policies usually have a time limit. If your circumstances change, if you own a home and can no longer afford it because you can’t work, you can sell it and move into a rental property before the policy runs out. If your AST (or a hypothetical insurance policy) ran out while you were unemployed and there was no housing element for UC, you would be homeless.

Including child benefit you're, apparently, entitled to £235 a month.

Because the renters don't benefit at the end of it whereas a home owner does. The renter doesn't set the rent and is at the mercy of a landlord for somewhere to live, without paying anything off.

This is more than helpful and greatly appreciated, really interesting to see how others have done it! Thank you so much x

Yes. But as there is very little social housing, there isn’t an alternative for the unemployed or those on a low wage, is there? And private rentals in many parts of the country are too expensive for working people to afford.

That’s so strange as mine says zero! :(

Happy to help, and omg sorry about the typos. The toddler is teething and I'm clearly lacking sleep.

I got UC on maternity leave about 3 years ago. I earn more than my partner. At the time he earned about £22k. The most we got in a month was about £150 and we had a child already. It was most helpful, as was the child benefit, but I can see why if you’re partner is earning nigh on £10k more than that you wouldn’t get it.
I didn’t get it every month, some months I got holiday pay or bonus which tipped me over the threshold.

Half of the £235 is child benefit, @MiaRosexo.

Maybe the PP only used the SMP amount as she wouldn’t know your salary for the first 6 weeks? Or you didn’t include your baby?

I worked out what the the difference would be between my normal wage and my mat leave ( my company paid slightly more than SMP for a few extra weeks) and I made sure we’d saved up the difference and paid myself the difference out of savings! When we hit the unpaid bit I paid a nominal amount into the joint account along with child benefit!