Coping with maternity

[meghan1996]

First baby
Spoke with citizens advice today who told me as I currently work all I will be entitled too for 9 months is Maternity allowance and child benefit a total of £678 a month... my question is how do people cope with that amount of money it seems impossible!! It seems better off not working?

If the father matches that figure then it should be enough to live on. Why are you taking all the financial hit?

We saved up during pregnancy and then lived off that money and DH’s salary until I returned to work although having DT’s messed up plans due to the extra items we had to buy.

You save while pregnant and partners wage supports while you're off.

It's the reason many women return to work after a few months. They can't afford not to.

Have you checked your work maternity policy? Some employers pay a period of full/half pay, which helps.

Because I'll be the one out of work whilst he continues working full time.. we are not living together at the moment.
Is it better to get a set amount from partner transferred weekly to help or?

You wouldn't be better off not working - job seekers allowance is less than maternity allowance.
Do you rent? If so you may be able to apply for housing benefit / universal credit to help with those costs.

You're grown up enough to have a baby then you're grown up enough to sort this out fgs.

If you don't live together and aren't married to all intense and purposes you are a single parent. Great if your dp will give you some money but there's not guarantees.

You need to talk to him. Babies are a shared responsibility.

My friends going to be a single mom and she's freaking out about this too.
She literally can't afford to live so I'm shameless placemarking so i can pass on any advice!

Try an online calculator like entitledto.co.uk you may get extra support

Have you not got a maternity policy at work? I get full pay for the first 10 weeks and have been saving salary since I found out I was pregnant to tide me over. Probably going back much sooner than 9 months because as you say it’s not very much money and I’m better off working and sending baby to childcare (and also admittedly I like work...)

I’m sure you can claim a top up benefit from universal credit. Don’t quote me though as I have just posted a similar question in money matters!

I tried to ring the UC line for advice and was told no point in thinking about it until I need to claim so she couldn’t give me advice. Charming!