Single mom- money woes *advice appreciated*

[Parent19876]

I am going to be a single mom, and I'm twenty one weeks.
I've been unemployed (and signed onto job seekers)
Finally got a job and start Monday, and have read the requirements for MA wrong, so now having re-read them properly, i found out that there is no way i will meet the 26 week requirements (I highly doubt).
Does anyone know if i can continue someone to get previous P45s to see if i do qualify?
If not, does anyone have any experience of being a single parent on universal credit? Terrified that I'm going to have to go back to work (or find a job) when my daughter is two months old in order to survive.
I know it's not the end of the world, but I'm freaking out.

Mainly freaking out about going back to work so early because i don't think I'll be able to find childcare (esp. with her being so so young).

Are you job allowing you to come back after maternity leave? you won't be forced back to work at 2 months but if your employer is prepared to keep your position open it will be much easier than finding a new job when needed! I can't give you personal insight as I'm pregnant with my 1st but I do know about maternity leave etc

On Universal credit you don't have to look for work for 1 year from your child's birth. Have a quick Google about UC.

Also I think you should be entitled to maternity allowance if not working.

The job i just got I won't be able to go back to as I'm selling my car because i can't afford the monthly payments.

From everywhere I've seen, to qualify for MA, you need to have worked 26 weeks in the 66 weeks prior to birth/due date. With this job, if i work until the end of August i will have worked about 24 weeks since June.

The beginning of June to the end of August is less than 24 weeks.

Oops meant last last June

I am a single mother and i got back into work when my daughter was 3 years old, nearly 4. You won't die of starvation if you are sensible with your money (i think i got £150 a week). On legacy benefits you could apply for income support when you were 11 weeks from your due date, not sure what the rules are now but i don't think it would be too different?

@SpeckledDot what are legacy benefits?

Will definitely be going to CAB on Monday, i was just curious if anyone else had gone through this. It makes no sense to me haha, especially because UC seems to have changed everything so much.

Legacy benenfits is the general name given to benefits that were in place before UC

When you ask re benefits ask about the possibility of a food bank referral too.

I was in a similar position - I found out I was pregnant in May when I was 3 months; had only started the job in the April; and got the sack in the August so was roughly 6 months pregnant - I got maternity allowance - and then went into income support.

My friend has been through similar and she's on UC (I think - as it's been rolled out in her area)
Her son is now 1.5 years old and she hasn't returned to work yet

Have you had a look on entitled to?

My best friend is a single mum of 2 on uc. It is a struggle but she makes it work (and to be honest she isn't always the wisest with her money). She was told she didn't need to be looking for work until the youngest was at school. Will you get maintanence from the father?

I haven't.
I don't know where to start (I've looked at Gingerbread, but because my baby hasn't been born yet, it hasn't been factored it, which leaves everything at 0).
Everytime I go to the jobcentre and ask about MA/what I'm entitled to, they don't have an answer, just say "universal credit will cover it", which isn't really the answer I'm looking for. I need steps I can take so I know what to do.
I'm hoping that when I go to CAB tomorrow they can be a bit more helpful.
In regards to maintenance from the father - I'm not sure. He's been no contact since I told him I was pregnant. From my research (again, not so sure if reliable), he will have to pay? But I'm unsure as to how because he obviously won't be named on the birth certificate. I'm hoping he does, but logistically I have no clue how to get that started.

They won’t tell you at the job centre if you are entitled to it because they don’t issue it from there. All the information is on gov.uk about what you can and can’t get and entitled to website will show what you will get on Universal Credit. You might not get the maternity allowance but you might get the grant which is a one off payment

I have no experience with the UC side of things so can’t help on that. Unfortunately if the father isn’t on the birth certificate you may find it hard to force maintenance (friend in a similar position recently). She could ask him to do it for goodwill for his baby, but legally she couldn’t make him and he legally didn’t have to because he was not named. The only way it could be made to happen is if she named him on the certificate or obtained a DNA sample through the courts to prove paternity.