Financial stuff - benefits

[glitternanny]

Has anyone looked into the benefits they will be entitled to once bump is here??
I just did a check on direct.gov and apparently we should be able to get:
child benefit. £20pw
working tax credits £88pw
child tax credit - £65pw
plus smp - £280pw which I should be entitled to from both my jobs

i'm a nanny - I'll get 6weeks at 90% pay then upto 33weeks on smp.

Hi Glitternanny,

I'm really struggling to understand what we'll get. I have a full time job and will get SMP but only £125 per week I think? (and that's taxed!) + £20 child benefit when baby is here. But I don't know about working tax credits and child tax credits - is that when you return to work? Guessing you'll know more than me as you're a nanny - so if you can share your knowledge, that'd be great thanks! x

I have no idea to be honest!

I just looked on the website and I think you can't actually start applying for anything until you have given birth.

I didn't realise SMP was taxed!!

These amounts above are when I'm on SMP not sure what (if) I'll get anything once I'm back at work.... Thanks for replying though.

Did you work the benefits out on while your on maternity leave or from the amount that will be on your p60??? Child tax credit and working tax is worked out from your p60 so your likely to get less when you start claiming but when you renew the following year and you put the smp down it sometimes goes up!! I know what I mean lol

once you have bump you can't apply for anything until they areregistered then you need to do child benefit then you can do tax credits. Also from April they are cutting the baby amount from tax credits which us £500 extra for the first year if I remember correctly.

They backdate tax credits by 3 months I think though, so you do get it from when the baby is born but can only apply after the baby is born. If you see what I mean.

Oh this sounds like fun!!

I got wtc a couple of years ago and have ended up paying every single penny back! I might not even be worth applying!!

No this wasn't based on my p60 - I haven't had it for 2010/11 yet.

Sounds like a mindfield!!

You apply based on your last P60. Then you can ask them to re-assess you if your predicted income for this year is significantly lower than for last year. (According to what I have read online)

We expect to get CB plus the minimum level of CTC - about £30/week in total, plus I will be getting maternity allowance in place of SMP until I go back to work: £130ish/week.

Thanks :)

I dont think you can claim smp from 2 jobs, i may be wrong but if i were you id look on the direct gov website.

working tax credits can be claimed once you have taken 9 months smp, although based on household income etc.
as far as i know everyone is entitled so some child tax credits even just the min tenner a wk or something.

You only get one lot of SMP but your employer might pay you some occupational maternity pay as well.
If you don't qualify for tax credits based on last year's earnings, you can apparently ask for a reassessment straight away based on this year's projected income. Not sure how easy that is as tax credit people can be a bit rubbish,

It's also worth calling your local council to see if you'd qualify for housing or council tax benefit.

Hey there!

This benefits calculator will tell you everything you are entitled to:

www.turn2us.entitledto.co.uk/entitlementcalculator.aspx

Just choose tax year 2011/12 in the calculator and it will tell you, whether you are likely to get tax credits, housing benefit, council tax benefit etc.

Also, it is possible to get SMP from more than one employer. Read the DWP guidance here:

www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/specialist-guides/technical-guidance/ni17a-a-guide-to-maternity/statutory-maternity-pay-smp/how-to-get-smp/#more

As they say "If you have more than one employer, you may be entitled to SMP from each one (so you could get more than one lot of SMP). The same is true if you have more than one contract with the same employer, if your NI contributions are paid separately for each contract.

Remember that your doctor or midwife can issue you with one maternity certificate (form MATB1) only. So if you do qualify for SMP from more than one employer, your other employer will have to tell you what other medical evidence is acceptable (see ?Proving your baby is due? above)."

Of course, to qualify for SMP in general, you have to have been employed by your employer at least 26 weeks before the so called qualifying week and earn at least £102/week in tax year 2011/12..

Hope this helps!

Thank you Marabou!

Tried to use the benefits calculator link, and was told that we aren't eligible for anything, despite the fact that our Sure Start centre told us last week at midwife appointment that dp and I are both classed as low income, and should basically be entitled to everything going?! Plus she said I could claim for the Health in Pregnancy grant, which I thought didn't even exist any more! V. confused now!

Grrr benefits...

I'm a student getting £3,400 a year (on loan, i've got to pay back every penny the government gives me!)

Maternity Benefit, Healthy eating allowance etc etc you get if you have no job and are getting income support, or if you have a job and earn under £16,000.

I get NOTHING. Becuase i'm not employed or unemployed or under 18, but living on less than pretty much anyone in the country...!

Getting pregnant at 20 while at uni wasn't on my to do list, but i've been with my boyfriend for three years (also a student) and we get no help at all. That's really encouraging us to get better lives, when all of the girls from my school who are pregnant at 16 haven't worked a day in their lives sitting in their free council houses....

Wow Marie, that it utterly awful! Have you spoke to your job centre or CAB?
x

That really is an awful situation marie! I think you should qualify for housing benefit though if you life on your own that is.. But yes I think you should speak to CAB.. As well as you pink; the health in pregnancy grant was abolished at the start of this year!

@Marie Unfortunately, if you're a full time student you won't be eligible for housing benefit until baby is born....unless rules have changed in last couple of years. If you or DP is part-time student then that person can make a claim. It might be worth you investigating if it's possible for you to go part time and if this is more beneficial for you. Also, speak to your uni to see if there are any bursaries or hardship funds available.

@PinkGirlyThoughts The Health in Pregnancy grant is only available if you were 25 weeks pregnant by 01 January 2011 I think. I'm not sure of exact dates but I think baby would have to be due around now for you to have qualified. Sounds like that HV is as switched on as they usually are....

Thanks glitternanny, called the job centre, (hadn't even thought about it!) they said i can get income support from when i'm 11 weeks before babies due! my boyfriend graduates this summer and hopefully will be earning as an accountant so will be all good and able to support ourselves :)

it's just until then! i usualy do agency temping over the summer, but i highly doubt anyone will take me on at 24weeks! seems silly why i can't be helped a little bit until we get on our feet when OH gets a job after he graduates in a few months!

No reason why they won't take you on for temping. I had no probs with supply teaching agency, temping for teachers. They're not going to have to pay you maternity pay so no reason why they wouldn't. I worked until quite late with ds, all supply. Different with applying for full time work. Oh, and of course if an agency didn't take you on, there might be tricky discrimination type questions to answer.