Benefit help?

[Megan1995]

Hi,

I am currently pregnant (21 weeks) and I am on Universal Credit. I have worked all my life, but past year I have suffered with unknown fits and trouble with my hormones making me only able to work part time. I then started to get better, got a new job and fell pregnant. When I first found out I was pregnant I was terribly ill, and work just wasn’t happening for me. I ended up leaving my new job, I wouldn’t of been entitled to any maternity allowance or pay anyway because I hadn’t been there long. So that’s when I signed up for universal credit. So I am currently unemployed.

Me and my partner do not currently live together, as I am on UC the majority of my rent is paid for at my current flat. But my landlord wants me out, as soon as he found out I was pregnant he gave me a letter to say he wanted me gone as he doesn’t like pregnant people or children in his property.

I have gone on to the housing, but there is none in my area. So that leaves private renting.

My partner is going to move in with me, he works about 25 hours a week but gets overtime pretty much every week. He gets paid weekly, a standard of about 200 every week.

We were wondering how the benefits will change and what I can still get once we move in together. Will I still get UC? He is quite worried that they will strip me of any rent help and my money until I get a job and basically all his wage will be put on rent and then we will have nothing for our baby.

Thanks for any help. (and I just want to add I am embarrassed I don’t work at the moment and my health really got the better of me and I should of gone down better routes, I am happy I am expecting and I fully intend to go back to work when baby is born and everything is settled)

If you look at the entitled to website, you should be able to get an estimate of your entitlements (although don't rely on it as gospel, and there will probably be knowledgeable MNers who can give you food advice here anyway).

You just need to do a change of circumstance, it'll change according to what information you give them. If he moves In with you, you have to put him on the claim and therefore all his information. Meaning his wages will be taken into account but you'll be claiming as a couple on a joint claim so getting more anyway. Your housing element won't change unless you move. We only got our claim finished because I was working 16hrs and my partner was working 36hrs so earnt too much, however we did have a child element on the claim.

Once your baby is born, to get child element you'll need to do another change of circumstances to add their details

Look at universal credit essentials site.

Just be aware until you have the baby they'll nag you to do job searches and attend work based interviews. When you have baby you don't need to do any of this until he/she is 3 when you need to be working 16hrs a week at most, then when they go to school they want you to work 25hrs until they are 13

If you are 21 weeks you could still get a seasonal job perhaps. It might be worth speaking to Shelter as that sounds like an illegal eviction. Btw as you had started the job before becoming pg you would have been entitled to smp, have you looked into whether you qualify for Maternity Allowance instead now? There will be child benefit once the baby has arrived.

I have still been applying but I inform them I’m pregnant and it doesn’t seem to go anywhere

You are not obliged to tell them yet and likes of retail , bars and po will need extra staff just for 2 months, so should be less of an issue.