- Call tax credits, but it is unlikely to make a difference.
- You can only apply for Job seekers Allowance if you are actively seeking a job.
Download the Maternity Allowance forms from here. You need to:
-Apply by week 26 of pregnancy, ideally.
-Will have to start Maternity Allowance at 29 weeks because you are not working.
-Will need to have worked for 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your due week.
-Earned on average over £30 per week in a 13 week period (not necessarily consecutive weeks) in that time.
-Get a MatB1 from your Midwife.
-Maternity Allowance is not classed as income for tax credits, but is for housing benefit.
- It depends on the acceptable rent from your area, and your room allocation (With just two Dcs, you would be entitled to a 2 bed property unless your DD is over 10 years old). You can check on the Rent Service site here. Firstly use the bedroom calculator, then find your LHA to look up the rate for that area.
Then it depends on your income. Your allowance will go up when baby arrives. We have rent of £650 per month, and an income of £18000 plus tax credits & Child benefit. Overall, with 2 DC, we get just under half of our rent paid, if that helps.
They basically add up your allowances, (about £94 for you as a couple, £55 for your daughter, £15 earnings disregard, £20 family premium, etc.) and then add up all incomings. Whatever is over your allowance is classed as 'excess income'. They calculate 65% of that amount. So if you had £100 excess, they would ignore £35 and say that you have £65 too much money.
Then they take your weekly rent, and deduct that figure from it. So if your rent was £100, and you have £65 too much money, your benefit would be £35 per week.
You need to get a form from your council.