sure start grant cut...i now have nothing for my unborn baby

[witter]

Hi everyone,,,
I'm looking for some advice as i dont know what to do anymore just as i get back on my feet something else seems to knock me back down.

Does anyone know is there any help out there as ive missed the sure start grant and now have nothing for baby due in april 2011.

I had to claim income support late last year as my partner left us and i was not working so had no income what so ever.
I have recently gone self employed and dont really have much income at the moment with starting up and everything.
I am due to have another baby in april 2011 but i have nothing i was told i could claim a sure start grant months ago but when i went into the jobcentre they said no first child only now.
I do have another child who is 1 year old but have never claimed this before as myself and partner worked before.
I have a few bits that baby could use but my son is still in his cot and only have his buggy now which i use for him as he cant walk the next baby is a girl so dont have mamy clothes either nether mind bottles, blankets, or anything else.
i really dont know where to turn next..i cant claim a loan because i need to be claiming benefits.
is there anything at all i could do??
thanks for reading xx

I still have some Baby Blankets I can send you - they are mostly pink and some are cream. I dont mind sending them to you if you inbox me your address :)

With Freecycle (at least on the ones I am members on) you can post wanted ads and explain your situation. We managed to get a beautiful junior bed and bookcase for DS. Saves you having to continually check your e-mails.

Op I am glad you have come back, and please ignore the nasty posts. They should be ashamed of themselves, making nasty comments to a vulnerable pregnant woman.

I too am concerned, not just about the grant you cannot get, but your day to day living expenses.

I agree about the benefits agency. If you are working self employed for 16 hours a week or more you can get working tax credit as well as child tax credit, as poster above says. If it is less than 16 hours, you can get income support for yourself, if you are earning less than the income support level for you (about £60, plus £20 disgregard of your earnings, so over £80 per week.) (they will adjust it according to how much you are earning), and still get child tax credits as well. And you can contact the csa and get the ball rolling, even if it takes a long time, and the partner is horrible about it, it will be worth it in the end. Especially if you know where he works. The children are his responsibility as well as yours. But don't feel pressured to apply and tell us you have. That is really up to you, we do not know your full circumstances.

Your one year old will not be ready for constantly walking for a long time yet. So it is a good thing you have put a request out for a double pram. As for the suggestions of using a sling constantly and not having a cot, or at least a carry cot at first, that is going to be much too difficult. We are not living in a 3rd world country or olden times where you are expected to put your newborn in a cleared out draw from the chest of draws!

I also agree this is not your fault, you have ended up in this situation because your partner left you. You are trying your best. You have tried to earn money self employed. Surely income support should have advised you that if you earn under benefits levels you should be topped up with benefits. It looks like you have been misadvised by them and the citizens advice regarding day to day benefits you are entitled to. Citizens advice do make mistakes. They told me I would not get working tax credits when working 16 hours when my marriage broke up and that particular advisor was wrong.

I am a bit pig sick of the self righteous tone of some people on this site. No one has been nasty, and everyone has made constructive suggestions - most of which the OP has ignored, I note. This is her right of course, but one wonders what the point of her starting the thread was if she didn't want advice....

OP try your local children's centre for all kinds of support and advice. Ours also has stashes of second hand clothes, moses baskets etc for people who need them.

And someone's probably already posted this link in response to the anti-co-sleeping remark on page 1, but:
www.babyfriendly.org.uk/pdfs/sharingbedleaflet.pdf

Gah.
Unicef bed sharing leaflet

Witter it may be worth looking on facebook groups, there is one set up items for sale or free in our area which always has baby stuff on......there could be one round your way??

I second the contribution based maternity allowance suggestion. It is based on national insurance contributions a long time before. (not sure exactly how long, but could be worth a try). Feel free to ignore. No need to explain every detail of your life, in order to get advice and support. You must be a bit overwhelmed with all the many well meaning suggestions. Explaining you still have a steriliser was helpful though, to people saying why didn't you keep equipment from your other child.

A1b2 post us very useful.

Claim income support tomorrow. Not sure if Avon is a good way forward at present. It isn't predictable and takes time to establish. Nit a quick fix- ESP with baby on way

Self employed calculations for benefits are generally mire generous than £20 s week.

I would be interested to hear what advice you have been given about benefits and from whom. Sounds like you are missing out.

Had another quick read. If you haven't been doing 16hrs what prompted you to come off income support?

hey witter - congratulations on your new baby!

when i was pregnant with dd i bought cheap/2nd hand stuff for her from the following:

surestart table top sales (ask in your local childrens centre)

ebay (moses basket which i sold for same price when dd grew out of it plus people advertise bundles of nb stuff)

nct nearly new sales (google nct manchester and see what comes up. down here they are march and september so there might be one near you really soon. if yes, beg childcare or take your son with you and go as early as you can they are amazing!)

local paper (its free to post ads - you could ask for baby girl stuff you could go and collect as well as looking for bundles of things)

meanwhile you could think about selling things that ds has grown out of on ebay or on here.

i also sign up to the emails from mothercare and toysrus so i get discount vouchers. mothercare has one which lasts until 27/02 for 10% off. i try to shop in tesco and boots as much as poss for the loyalty points so i can get other things free with my points.

oooh just remembered if you change your gas and electric to marks and spencer they send you gift vouchers - i am spending mine of clothes for dd - good quality stuff :-)

hope other posters didn't upset you - got enough on your plate as it is. there is a place for the bf/ff debate but its not here.

good luck x

Witter, if your self employment amounts to 16 hours or more a week, you can claim working tax credits, even if you are not earning much yourself. I started my own business when my first DH left me and although I only earning around £6,000 PA initially I was much better off on Tax Credits, not least as my ex DH earned good money so I was then able to also recieve the full maintenance he gave me. I could also get childcare help and then when my earnings went up, my tax credits went down/eventually stopped. This could be a better option for you?

If it helps, I have a brand new Mothercare baby sleeping bag I won't use and can send you if you don't mind messaging me your address?

No need for the righteous to get on their high horse!

It's perfectly reasonable if you post on a public forum that some people will ask why you got pregnant twice in 2yrs whilst in an unstable relationship and with no money.

If a woman posts (equally upset) that she has had an affair and her husband has left her, she get lots of 'well what did you expect, it's your own fault etc'

How is this any different? Having an extra marital affair is silly, selfish and irresponsible. Likewise, having a baby without a stable relationship or financial means.

Thank you for pointing out self employed calculations are more generous than £20 a week OADCB. I really should have pointed out I only know details about employed but only in a general way about self employed.

I second wondering OP why you came off income support?

her relationship could have been stable then when she got pregnant that was 7 month ago, things can change in a matter of weeks, even people who have the best relationships can suddenly breakdown. she isnt selfish just cause shes having a baby, and is worrying how to buy things at the moment, when the babys born it will be easier to provide for her children, but having 8 weeks to get everything you need for a newborn is pretty daunting as its all in one big bulk and isnt the cheapest time.
and somepeople will ask why she got pregnant twice in 2 years but i only see a few narrow minded people asking that, after all this is life and no one is perfect, things happen.

But you save and are financially secure before getting pregnant. So even if relationship seemed secure, clearly her finances weren't.

Anyway, I was just pointing out the hypocricy on here with regards women who have affairs and women who get pregnant without stability. I have been in neither position btw but always wonder why we treat getting pregnant like this as a 'can't be helped' situation.

I agrre with midori that WTC etc will leave you better off than income support if you are working 16 hours or more with your own business. Wonder if that is why you came off income support witter? You need advice as to what would happen when you have just had the baby and cannot work 16 hours.

is this for real? OP never posted anywhere else with this name and has ignored most of the excellent advice already given.

Indeed.

Georgimama - I expect some of the more recent posts are more to the OP's liking.

Could you ask your hv to refer you to an organisation like this?

3seater. What amazing work they mission do. Thank you for sharing it with us.

i dont think a surprise pregnancy is comparable to having an extra marital affair. what a mean thread this has become. lots of us need a bit of support when we are pregnant. if i had posted when i was utterly exhausted trying to finish my degree when i was heavily pregnant and dh was away would you lot have chastised me for gettting pregnant and siad my situation was all my own fault and unworthy of help/a chat/advice? nice.

That mission looks very good 3seater.

As for people banging on about OP ignoring advice, she's a single mother to a 1yo and has a slow internet access, she's hardly going to be on here all day tapping polite replies is she?