Can you start an application for child tax credits while your still pregnant ?

[jellyjem]

I'm 34 weeks pregnant and just started maternity leave. I know we'll struggle for money while I'm off work so I just wondered if I could get ahead and start my application for child tax credit now as I know these things can take ages to go through the system.

Does anyone know if I can start filling in the forms now? I've had a look on the government web site but it just asks how many children you have (at the moment its 0) Theres no box to fill in for an expecting Mom.

no, you need your baby's DOB. Tax credits are normally quite quick.

I second sparklygothcat, tax credits people are quite quick, get your dp/dh to ring them with all details as soon as your baby makes an appearance (will need both your NI numbers to hand and I think approx earnings for previous tax year, so you could get all that info together now). Don't forget you get Child Benefit too, when I was still in hospital with ds1 a m/w gave me the form to fill in, but not sure how it's normally done.

u need to wait till baby is here as i tried to apply when i was 37 weeks preg n got the forms sent back and told to reaply when i knew babys d.o.b

Thanks, feel much better knowing the applications usually goes through quite quickly.

Just do what my friend did she had all the forms filled out ready and day after baby was born filled in the D.O.B and sent them off!

Said they took about a month to recieve a reply and two before she had any payment but they did back pay.