What happens if I don’t return to work after maternity leave

[Monandted]

Hi my baby is due in June and I will be getting 39 weeks paid maternity leave (SMP). I don’t want to return to work after these 39 weeks is up and wondering what kind of help /benefits I’d be entitled to if I don’t go back to work .

OP, you should have thought about all of this before deciding to have a child!
You say you don't earn enough to pay nursery fees. That's impossible. You'll be earning minimum wage at least, so for a full week that's approx £322 gross, £250 net. A childminder would cost you much less than that. Also, you say you've paid enough tax over the years to cover any benefits you'd get if you stayed at home. Again, that's wrong. How much do you think it's cost the tax payer to fund your pregnancy and birth costs? Have you never seem a GP in those 15 years? A regular appointment costs around £200! What about an NHS dentist? Moving forward, what about the cost of schooling and medical care for your child? You're deluded if you think you're entitled to sit at home and not work because you've paid tax for 15 years.

If your do can support you staying at home then carry on, that's your choice and one that should be respected. But trying to screw the state by expecting benefits for something you've chosen to do to yourself is wrong. A bit like your comment about taxes being used to support drug users. You could argue that they've chosen to take drugs so shouldn't be supported the same way as you've chosen to have a child.

@Soontobe60

Finger wagging "You should have thought of that sooner!" helps no one.

Also, where do you live that childminders are so cheap? I used to work for a childminder and we charged £52 pounds a day. Granted that may just be my area, but you dont know where she lives.

Is anyone morally pure enough to 'deserve' benefits or should we just have a benefit system nobody is allowed to use?

Just for those making comments about rinsing the tax payers money I do my self pay tax and wouldn’t mine “my money” being spent on helping children be cared for rather than given out in benefits to the local druggy!!

For someone who is looking in to not working and claiming benefits after maternity leave because they are (presumably, correct me if I’m wrong) going to be a lone parent you’re not very sympathetic towards others in unfortunate positions!

I agree that there’s no point in chiding you now though, and other posters are quite right in saying that the baby’s father should be doing his part. You’ve had some good advice on here, hopefully that helps you.