Getting organised money wise- where to start?

[Bumbleclat]

Right so I have paid off my credit card so that's one less monthly payment gone, I have got 9 months quite generous(ish) maternity pay sorted.

But I don't know where I start with going about claiming child benefit/ tax credits?

Does anyone else know what I have to do?

I suppose DH paying child maintenance for his DD will affect things too?

So confusing!

Child benefit can only be applied for after DC is born as they go off the actual birth date. It was a simple case of filling out the form (from the post office) and sending it off with the birth certificate. They do all the calculating based on what you put on the form. I don't think maintenance payments affect it though could be wrong on that.

Not sure how your household finances work but would check all direct debits coming out of your account will be covered by your mat pay. Or can be transferred over to DH if necessary. Nothing worse than being on a smaller pay and realising you have nothing left to last 3 weeks!

Joint account (or having access to DHs cards) is helpful for food shopping and other joint outgoings that you might find yourself having to sort out in an emergency and may not be covered by mat pay.

Thank you, DH has been lovely and said that he wants us to both have the same income throughout, so we're pooling our money then cutting in half what's left to avoid the horrors of "can I please have some money for a coffee in town?" scenario.

It looks like the first few months are pretty much the same as normal then there's a big drop. i can do paid keeping in touch days at my work and having paid of my Credit card i feel poor but a bit less stressed by it all.

Thank you.

we are doing a 'baby budget' and basically living on 75% and saving about 25% of our joint income a month. I have 4 months paid maternity leave and so we will be able to save 25% for 13 months. That will give us enough savings to top up DH's income to roughly to the same as what we have been living on for the final 5 months of maternity leave. It will be tight but the not drinking/going out much will help!