Claiming benefits

[mandspice]

Hi everyone!

I'm due to go on maternity leave in 3 weeks and will take at least 9 months off. We want to know whether I'll need to go back to work full time or whether we will be entitled to enough benefits to survive without my salary / a part time salary.

We live in London and OH earns nearly 20K. Our rent is £800pcm and our LHA is £866. I know we'll be entitled to child benefit of £18.80 plus at least the basic tax credit amount but based on an annual joint income of 20K (ie me not working at all) can we claim Housing benefit or is 20K considered "too much"? The online calculators all say we can claim about £100 a week but I've heard these aren't always accurate.

Any advice / experience greatly appreciated!

look at www.entitledto.co.uk it works it all out for you but you'll details of childcare costs, earnings, savings etc

If you're already getting £866 for LHA while your OH earn £20 surely you'll still get that if you don't go back to work.

Thanks!

We don't get anything yet as we're both still working full time (the LHA is the max amount they would pay, ie if you don't earn anything at all). I rang the council & they were v helpful, they worked it all out for me & we will be entitled to a reasonable amount.

Entitledto.co.uk is pretty accurate too as it came up with a similar quote.

Whats LHA?

Have you got the CD Rom with the folder from the Financial Services Authority about having kids? Midwife gave me mine at my booking in appointment, it does everything for you and more (TMI for me then ) If you haven't got one, perhaps you W can let you have a spare?

LHA is Lolcal Housing Allowance. It's a new way of paying housing benefit based upon average house rental prices in particular areas.

Where can I get one of them cd's from Happynewmum2b