Can I claim housing benefit whilst on maternity leave to help with shared ownership rent?

[MrsFrederick25]

Hi All,

My hubby and I are looking at shared ownership properties as this seems like the most affordable way of buying (or at least part buying) a new home in time for the birth of our first child. Our combined incomes mean we are just about eligible, although I will obviously be earning less whilst on maternity leave. Will I be able to claim any housing benefit to cover some of the rent whilst I'm on leave? Does anyone have a shared ownership home or any helpful info?

Ta!

Surely if you can't afford to pay your rent when you're on maternity leave then you just have to go back to work?

The short answer is yes.

MsMoss needs to keep her opinions to herself.

If you google for a benefits calculator you should be able to get an idea of how much you can get.

Just looked into it for you as I'm doing a bit of work in this area at the moment. Maternity pay is counted as earned income for the purposes of calculating whether you're entitled to housing benefit, so you can theoretically claim, and whether you'll actually get HB will depend on your combined household income (your husband's earnings and your mat pay). So definitely worth looking into, I'd have thought.

Eh? Why do I need to keep my opinions to myself? Surely your maternity leave should last as long as you can afford it to. If you think you'll struggle with the drop in income then either go back to work or save up before you go off on leave.

MrsFred, are you already pregnant? If so, this may affect your getting a mortgage offer as the broker will need to take into account a drop in income.

msmoss would that be because you think claiming benefits to which you are entitled is evil scrounging? Because if so, then there are corners of the internet which relish such opinions. This thread is not one of them.

I don't have any problem with people claiming benefits that they are entitled to, I just can't believe that benefits are paid to people who buy houses then voluntarily drop their income. Surely if it is within someone's means to support themselves then they should be doing so?

Shouldn't benefits be reserved for people who actually need them?

By the way I didn't actually make my comment as a 'benefit bashing' statement I just didn't even imagine that this would be a circumstance in which you would be able to put in a benefit claim.

'Voluntarily drop their income' - by having a baby? So either the OP shouldn't be so irresponsible as to have children with her husband; or she should go back to work as soon as the baby is born to avoid recouping any of the money to which she as a taxpayer has contributed at a time when she happens to need it?

Well yes she is voluntarily dropping her income, and it is an event that can be planned for and saved for. If you work you are entitled to 39 weeks SMP or MA which state funded.

I just find this attitude really weird, I didn't get any money during my second maternity leave so went back to work once my savings ran out, it wouldn't even cross my mind to seek benefits when I'm perfectly capable of getting a job.

Yes, but she's presumably intending to claim SMP and has calculated that it won't be enough to meet their outgoings. Surely covering a temporary change in circumstance is exactly the sort of thing housing benefit is intended to provide for? The fact that so many people, despite working, aren't paid enough to cover their accommodation costs without claiming HB for decades on end, is much more shocking than someone looking into whether she can claim it for a predictable, finite period in order to be at home with her tiny baby.

I totally agree it's much more shocking that people can't afford housing generally wages need to be higher and housing costs need to be lower.

I'm just baffled that buying a house you know you can't afford on a maternity leave you know you're going on entitles you to housing benefit.

I have never claimed any kind of benefit before in my life, and unfortunately will only be able to spend 6 months off with my baby as we can't afford for me to take any longer. Thanks for making me feel like some kind of scrounger ms moss!

I am only 12 weeks now and will of course save what I can in time for maternity leave but for once in my life I might actually need some help back from a system into which I have constantly contributed financially since the day I was legally able to work.

Of course we will have to (and just about be able to) cover the mortgage and service charge, just wondered whether we would be eligible for any help at all with the rent.

Thanks everyone else for the helpful and supportive advice.

Are you the OP with a different name?

I can't believe somebody could be so spiteful and judgemental towards a person they know barely anything about. A woman who is pregnant and trying to provide a secure and stable home for her family has asked for help and advice about something to which she is perfectly entitled, and you respond by belittling her. I'm sure in an ideal world we would all love to be able to have babies and to enjoy spending time with them in a nice home without having to worry about the financial implications but unfortunately, for those of us who don't live in a middle class bubble of perfection, this is not a reality.

This is a woman who works and who has a husband who works, she has every right to have a child and to take time off to spend with her baby. She also deserves to live in a home of her own, despite the fact that she will earn less whilst taking the minimum amount of maternity leave in order to provide essential care for her new baby.

I don't know who you are, or indeed who you think you are msmoss, but I would strongly advise that you think twice before spewing out your Katie Hopkins style accusations and keep your snidey comments for those who don't work or have any intention of working and have children expecting everything to be handed to them on a plate.

Ok this thread has gone weird now. OP, use the entitledto calculator - as someone else pointed out, it will take your husband's income into account too. Hope you do get help if you need it and good luck with the baby and new home!

Sorry you took this so personally Junebabyjoy I was just surprised that the government would provide a top up if you bought a house knowing that you soon wouldn't be able to afford it.

WTF? I'm lost. I thought the OP had messed up her name change, but now appears to be another person?