Working parents entitled to anything?

[LauraBrown1]

Hello, I don't know if this is the best topic to post this under but I couldn't find anything else.
Me and my partner are expecting our first in August, he works 40+ hours a week and I do 16. We get no benefits and pay full rent, bills etc.
We struggle with money I'm not going to lie.
I heard something about a sure start maternity grant online but I'm not sure if we'll be elegible for it. I know a few working friends that are still with their partners and they couldn't get it.
Can anyone help me out? It says you're elegible if you receive child tax credits but I have no idea about that either.
I'm currently OMW to work so tomorrow I'm going to ring up my midwife and ask when I have more time.
Just seems as if you're better off not working and getting money handed to you.. 🙄

Troll hunting isn’t permitted on MN. Nor are personal attacks, which you have just done by accusing me of being a troll. MNHQ can confirm that I am not. You may not like being called on your offensive ignorance, I understand you feeling defensive about that but take it like an adult and accept you were wrong. Stop behaving like a child and people might be more willing to help you.

Haven't you just attacked non working people by calling them 'benefit scum' on a previous comment? That's a personal attack I would say...
I'm staying (again) you've came onto this thread to act OTT and not give any advice on this topic. You haven't been helpful and honestly I have no idea why you continue to do so

Hmm, I think it's a bit rich really to make snide comments about people who don't work being better off when you have chosen to work a minimal number of hours yourself. Instead of carping about what benefits other people get, perhaps you should have increased your hours or waited until you were in a better financial position before deciding to bring a baby into the mix?

Op I do feel sorry for you and think you are getting a bit of an unfair pasting here in the sense that you haven't come on and stated something about handouts and argued the toss, you've admitted you're new to it and don't really know how it works.

You're having a child and you don't want to worry you're not going to be able to give them everything they need - unfortunately that's lots of parents at the moment, it's the reality of becoming parents. If you focus on what they need and not what they want then it's a different situation, but lots of people struggle with this having children.

Please don't compare yourself to other people you know who get by with x and y or seem really well off. It doesn't matter how well you know your friends and family, you have no idea who is up to their eyes in debt and "living their best life" on social media. You have no idea how many people use catalogues and loans just to get by, or to make themselves look like they have as much as their friends. You have no idea who out of your friends might be falsely claiming benefit fraud and claiming to be on their own with their kids so they can get child tax credits or working tax credits and then they have a partner living with them as well and the extra wage.
You need to just look at your circumstances and work our what's best from their. You won't be able to claim tax credits, if you give up work to go on benefits it will be universal credit. There is a group on Facebook called universal credit survival that could provide you with an accurate picture of what that might be like. It would be a one off payment each month that can change at any time, that is a lot lower than the old tax credits and there are sanctions for missing appointments, plus if your partner is paid more than once in an assessment period (30 days) your payment can be reduced to 0 for no reason. For this reason lots of people using universal credit have been reduced to food banks. You would find yourself as a household bringing home less money and it would be very difficult to make any more as you wouldn't be entitled to 30 hours childcare. Also your outgoings will increase once baby arrives with nappies, food, toys, days out ect so you don't really want to decrease your income. Not when the other option is to stay in a job where you have the options for progression, you are entitled to free childcare (which some argue is also a handout) and you're not having to rely on a small amount of benefit. Maybe speak to somebody at the citizens advice or see if anybody could offer proper financial advice because the last thing you want to do is put yourself in a worse position.

Why do you only work 16 hours a week? Are you disabled?

Laura, the comment you made at the end of your first post is considered offensive. And it does nothing to help prevent benefit bashing threads or judgement of people who actually need to claim. Saying "money handed to them" and saying that people are better off not working is misleading and rude. For some people in some situations, they may well be better off, but it's a very very small minority. Benefits keep getting cut, so those genuinely in need are left with even smaller safety nets, and that can happen because the public opinion amongst middle and upper class (the classes which also make up our government) still cling onto the idea that these people are living the high life, better off than everyone whilst getting money handed to them. So it's just something you shouldn't say.

Most of us blew past it and have you advice because it was a mistake made our of ignorance rather than malice, however ilovemaxi is not wrong to be annoyed.

I, myself can admit that I grew up privilege and still am, and have heard people in my circles way that sort of thing all the time. But I've grown our of those prejudices by educating myself on real world politics. You don't seem like you have that excuse.

Sarcasm clearly flies over your head OP. I wasn’t calling people benefit scum. I was asking if you were expecting full agreement with your “benefit scum” type comment that you made.

Also what you said about the people you know who both don't work, they will have their rent paid for in benefits which you would if you both quit your jobs, and if you quit yours they might pay a part of it, but is that the life you want for your child? Turning up at the school gates with a 4 year old starting school and neither one of you has a job to go to? And how do you get out of that situation once you're in it? Both just land amazing jobs one random day that pay more?

Of course it's hard work. It's such hard work if you don't have a huge amount of money but it is like that for most people. I know women who have quit their jobs when pregnant and because they didn't have a job working more than 16 hours, they then had to take evening jobs cleaning when their partners were home from work in the evenings because they couldn't afford the childcare to go back to their old jobs outright.

Out not our! And lots if other typos. Sorry!

I will explain - it is unusual for someone who is struggling financial to be only working part time and then decide to try for a baby. I was wondering if you had an disabilities or caring responsibilities.

Thank you @grinchypants I appreciate you see where I'm coming from here compared to 'hmm'...
Exactly I didn't come on here to cause a fuss, I came on for advice, in to which certain people have jumped the bullet.
I'm all new to this and I'm trying to work out when the time comes what I'll be able to sort out income wise. Me and my partner both work and yes it's hard and savings take FOREVER! But we're working it out.
I feel like I'm being bashed as if I've came on this thread and said 'okay me and my partner can't be arsed to work, what money can I have' whereas we are putting ourselves out there and doing something. Hopefully my training works out soon and I can achieve my pay rise and more hours to add to my job.
I'm not looking for a pity story I just wanted some advice. It's hard working then coming home alone in the mindset I'm in, it's really hard. I see my partner for about an hour each night (he's a chef so works until late) before he's back at work tomorrow. On top of it I haven't had a easy pregnancy so far, just wish there was some light at the end of the tunnel.

@Franheaton no I'm not, I did mention my reason early on in this thread.

@Jackshouse @Franheaton I do not have disabilities. When I started the job I'm in was around November 3 years ago, I was busy and I was doing 35 hours a week, after Christmas period my hours dropped and I was doing about 27ish (something I never expected as they had took on Xmas staff which also cut the hours) now it's January and the shops are quiet I'm doing my contracted 16. I have asked for overtime but the hours aren't there to give. I've also suffered the past few weeks with morning sickness and have about 4 days off. I didn't want to but it came to the point I couldn't lift my head off the pillow without vomiting. I felt guilty and that's when the worrying started.

2 years ago I found out about my mum having cancer and as I said in previous comment I didn't want to talk about it but I'm still being asked why I work less hours... I cannot describe what i mentally go though on a day to day basis. I was on anti depression. Whenever I would work my mind would be elsewhere and my boss discussed me taking some time off.

@Jackshouse I also go with my mother whenever I can to hospital appointments. I'm not a Carer but my boss has given me the days off which I asked I could be with her

On 40 hours a week he should be getting at least £300 a week on living wage.

@LauraBrown1 for what it's worth that's the impression I got from reading your post, and just that you had realised what a massive struggle this was going to be and were maybe a bit miffed looking at other people and wondering how they did it.
It's really difficult for working parents on low incomes at the moment. Being worried about your finances approaching childbirth is a really sensible thing though, it's better than not caring at all and making a snap decision to go on benefits or get into lots of debt. It's a sign that you're taking it seriously and a natural thing to worry about. Hope it works out for you.

Seeing as you seemingly can’t up your hours or change your job then can your boyfriend?

If he’s doing 40 hours a week and only earning £800 a month then he needs to either change his job or get a second job.

When I had my son nearly 15 years ago, I was able to get the sure start grant after he was born once my maternity pay had gone down. Think I had full pay for 10 weeks so would have been after that. Think they could back date it for 3 months so I must have applied straight away. Worth looking into. However my partner had no income at that time so might be why we qualified

Thank you @grinchypants I really appreciate it. I knew it would be hard becoming a parent but it wasn't until I put pen to paper (aka used the calculator) that I realised for what a shock I'm in. But I guess what would life be if you could just sail by it... x

LauraBrown1

From the figures you've given, you earn less than me and my stbxh earnt combined, and we got around £50 a week child tax credit as well as child benefit.

Depends if you're in a UC area or not though.

@kezzy13 when using the calculator and entering my address is popped up I'm in a UC area.. so what does that mean? Do I apply for that? I've never had any sort of benefits so it's all new to me and a bit strange 🥴

You’re welcome OP. I spent time calculating your likely SMP, but you haven’t bothered noticing.

@gt84 yeah I think with my partner working that I am not entitled to it x

Does it come up if you do a benefits calculation that you would get any universal credit? It should tell you from the calculator, but if you're in a uc area you won't be able to claim tax credits and universal credits give a lot less than tax credits. Worth checking out though.

@PoutySprout I have noticed, I was also busy working it out myself

@grinchypants it popped up I was in UC area and gave me a choice to apply for it but I haven't done anything yet

LauraBrown1

Yes I would definitely apply for UC.

I am one of the few that prefers it, as I actually get more this way.

They give you an allowance, then you can earn a certain amount before it's affected, then everything over that certain amount they take off 63p for every £1 you earn.

Apply sooner rather than later though even if you don't think you'll be entitled to anything yet, they take upto 5 weeks to process claim.