Sure Start Maternity Grant

[britbo]

Hey all,

I've been furloughed since April for 80% of my part time pay which means I'm making roughly around £500 a month. My partner has had to work over time so we can make rent, bills, car payments along with TRYING to save for our first baby due in 7 weeks.

I applied for universal credit straight away, didn't get anything for the month of April as they took into consideration my March pay and my partners wage. Then I got £20 in May which was baffling but again, understandable as my partner is working over time so I'm not entitled to as much. At least it was something.

I applied for the Sure Start Maternity Grant about a week ago as my midwife told me I'm entitled to it as I'm in receipt of UC and because it's my first baby. We're planning to use that towards buying the travel system which will help us massively.

I called up the helpline and asked if the amount of UC I receive affects wether I'll get the grant or not and the man on the phone said that as long as I'm in receipt of UC, regardless the amount, I should be accepted but he didn't seem so certain.

After reading up online, it said that the maternity grant decision will be made upon the next UC payment. I've just bloody checked and I'm getting £0 for June so now worrying that they Sure Start peeps will see that and decline my application. Obviously hoping that it'll show that I received UC in May but yeah, just wondering if something similar has happened to anyone before.

Any advice would be great!

Thanks ❤️

@britbo oh I see you want to stretch your leave out as much as possible. I think with no dependants and a partner who is working full time and you furloughed you are just falling short of qualifying. It sucks, you should try another go at applying but maybe after that like another poster says wait until after you've had the baby and try again then. Your child element will go up post baby, I totally forgot you have not children so obviously your combined earnings cut off will be lower. And as you've submitted your housing costs and bills ect they have taken that in to account and deemed that you do not have a short fall most months. Look at it this way, at some point in the next 6 months you will have a short fall and you'll qualify and probably get the grant if your clever and keep an eye of the predicted next month. But the whole universal credit thing is not ideal, we cannot wait to get off it, we hate it.

@AnotherEmma yes it is a fact for my family. I have said I'm very aware it isn't for her situation. The woman doesn't have any dependants so obviously her cut off point is probably like 1500 or something. I mean she hasn't actually told us there earning but assume it's around that. If they have a mortgage she won't qualify for the housing element either I assume. But as I said. That OUR cut off point. And would be the same for anyone with dependants and a rent of around 800 pounds

Meanwhile OP there are lots of helpful tips here
www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/baby-checklist/

Not sure how much you were planning to spend on a travel system but can I suggest that you consider second hand because you can get some real bargains.

The car seat needs to be new, obviously, but if you get a car seat from a decent brand like Joie or Maxi Cosi, you will be able to get the adapters you need to attach it to the pushchair.

"And would be the same for anyone with dependants and a rent of around 800 pounds"

No it wouldn't. You really need to stop digging. You seem to have made this thread all about you. Just stop.

@AnotherEmma to be honest with a mortgage and no children, a working partner and furlough, even the pittance of 500 pounds, the cut off point is probably even less, maybe even less then a grand, whatever it is it'll be way lower then ours. Two adults 'working'. No dependants yet. They are hardly going to allocate much

Aaand you're still making shit up as you go along

well we are on universal credit and I earn nothing and my partner was told the cut off point is 2500 a month. So that's a fact
Sorry that made me laugh, there is no cut if for UC. If you had for example five children all born before 2017 , three with disabilities and renting in London you can earn far more than £2500 and still receive UC.

*no cut off

@AnotherEmma I'm not making anything up, I'm always saying 'around' or probably. But it's definitely a fact they are not eligible, otherwise they'd be eligible right? They just don't fit the criteria and it's a ball ache having to play the system to to speak to get the grant. But if she thinks it's worth it or you do, but in my opinion it just isn't. Better to wait until she has the baby, qualifies for the child element so to speak of universal credit and then she'll get the grant 100 percent.

Which is what Quietheart said more concisely minus all the waffle and incorrect assertions.

@ToothFairyNemesis yes obviously. It's different for everyone in different circumstances. But she doesn't have any children and they are both working so I'm just saying it's very unlikely that universal credit is a goer, or worth the bloody hassel of the who thing, especially when they start repeatedly closing her claim. Obviously they work out your shortfall each month, and that's on everyone's circumstances, they seem her to have no shortfall so 🤷‍♀️

"Obviously they work out your shortfall each month"

Obviously
(Clue: they don't)

Well they told us they work out your shortfall and they combine this with with what they can allocate. So if you rented a property that was 5000 a month as a childless unemployed couple they obviously wouldn't make up your shortfall. They can only give a maximum amount for housing in your area, bedrooms, children all taken into consideration. As I have said it's individual circumstances. But they do look at your shortfall, Whether they actually give it to you is a totally different thing. But this is part of their calculations, even if you do not receive what you need to cover everything. Well you very much don't receive what you need to cover everything, as so many people are struggling to meet the bills or pay the rent on it. Universal credit is really a life saver but at the same time it's not a desirable thing to be on or receive. Once they close your claim it becomes an absolute nightmare to reinstate it as well. You used to be able to go over the thresh hold 3 times before they closed it, but last year it was changed to once. And both you and your partner have to go in and have another meeting and sign your commitments again.

I just think the grant would be better post baby that's all when her alowence increases. Could just be stressful the last few weeks before giving birth having to schlep up to the council or job center to re apply. Her partner no doubt having to actually take time off work to go and reapply. Just not reinstate it and make a new claimed in a couple of months

@ ChampooPapi are you getting mixed up with the surplus earnings rule?

@ChampooPapi

To be honest your not really eligible if it keeps beong nothing other then a one off twenty pounds contribution. I know if you eafn 2500 or more you receive no universal credit. Thats their cut off point so thats obviously what you are earning combined even with furlough pay. Im sorry but that is alot more then most people who will be applying for the grant, its for low income and your income, although not ideal, is not low. Its unfair i know because your hardly rich! But take it from me once your claim gets closed whoxh it will probably the next time you earn too much again, i really wouldn't bother applying again unless you are 100 percent sure it wont cloae for at least 3 months.

@champoopapi no, you've clearly said to OP here 'if YOU earn 2500' and I was correcting you as OP said in her original post that she earns nowhere near that. I wasnt commenting on the OP's overall household income, I was referring to her personal salary, the same as you were in your post.

Just to make it all clear, I'm being furloughed £120 - £154 a week (they keep changing it randomly, don't know why) so getting roughly around £500 - £550 a month after tax, pensions etc.

My partner is on £1650 a month and his overtime has roughly boosted him up by £100-200 a month (has changed through out these last 3 months).

We rent a 2 bedroom flat for £1070. Our bills including our car, car insurance, gas and electric, council tax, WiFi, tv license come to just under £800.

I'm excluding personal phone bills, debt, petrol and food off our 'monthly expenses' but these rack up so much and leave us with barely anything now. Especially as we're buying a lot of bits here and there for the baby. Normally, we're fine every month and manage to save a bit as I have a good side job that I make money from. That's stopped since Covid-19 so I've had to rely on just my furlough and using all my partners wages, HENCE why I applied for UC in the first place. I hoped that during this time I'd get some help but obviously not as they take into consideration his wage.

Anyway, I think I'll just wait to see what the SSMG say/do and if I do get rejected, I'll reapply later on if I get accepted for one of the benefits on their list. It'd just be such a great help and personally, I think it's worth the hassle. £500 is a lot of money!

Thanks for the advice everyone; let's try not to get too heated ❤️

On that info I think you only got £20 because that month your employer paid you the lower end and your DP had no overtime.

However once the baby is born UC will add a child element and an extra bedroom to your claim and then the UC will kick in properly.

Your outgoings (apart from rent and CT) are irrelevant to your benefit entitlement. However, you mentioned debt repayments and other expenses that all add up and you are struggling to cover. I would suggest that you contact a debt advice organisation like Citizens Advice, National Debtline or StepChange as they can help with budgeting and renegotiating debt repayments if necessary.

I was just wondering if you received this? Just wondering cause this has happened to me aswell