Forum home Pregnancy Pregnancy

What can I claim?

Hey,

Now I hope the title doesn't make me sound like a scrounge as it is not supposed to at all.

I will start from the beginning so hopefully someone will understand why I am asking.

Me and dh started to ttc in March, we were both working in decently paid full time permanent jobs and were financially stable to have a bubby, we also decided to get married in december which we were to pay for ourselves as our families aren't particularly well off. Well I got my bfp in October and we were over the moon as it felt like we had been trying forever lol plus I would only be 11 weeks when we got married so not the size of a house.

When I was 6 weeks preggo I got made redundant and we were also told we needed to find a new place to live (whole other story I won't go into) So now we had one income, no home, a wedding to pay for and I was pregnant, it's amazing how quickly things change. Well we have now found somewhere to live and are moving next saturday and I'm also working on a temporary contract which ends just before baby is due (so no maternity pay for me), we also just about managed to pay for our wedding,

When my contract at work ends I will have no income at all and dh will all go towards the bills, I need to know what I am able to claim to help pay for the baby when he/she first arrives? I do plan on training to be a child minder as I don't like to take money without earning it but there is the possibility we will need help to being with.

I hope you don't think I'm one of those women who wants money for nothing as it's really not like that.

Any help would be much appreciated. Sorry for drivveling on, I needed to explain myself as I am far to proud for my own good to ask for help lol

C
xxx:\)

Replies

  • Sounds like you have really had a run of it! If you visit website direct.gov.uk it provides info about what you can claim. And you don't sound like a scrounger, everyone has to survive! x
  • Hi, Am in nearly same situation as you. Was made redundant in my 3rd month but found a temp job until now (baby due 15th Feb). I am about to go to the jobcentre to give a form to see what I can get from the gov. You can find it on http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/jcp/Partners/Allowancesandbenefits/Dev_009944.xml.html
    I am not sure yet what we can get but we def get something. One of my friends got about ??100 per week. Not much but it does help!
    Good luck! xx
  • Thanks for your help image it's really appreciated. I hate not having the financial security there it really freaks me out

    C
    xx
  • Hi ya love! I'm in the near enough the same boat! been trying for a baby for 2 and a half years was in the same job well over 3 years and nothing every happened! I left as it was poorly managed and I wanted a new challange... well here it came.. two weeks into a 6 month contract (covering materinty ironicly) I fall pregnant! I will we like 5 months pregnant rougly when it finishes I know people say there are equal ops and all that but really whom is going to spend a fortune on recruiting and then pick someone that may only be a couple of months? I'm nearly 3 months now and already showing! it's not as if it can be hiden... I work as an Adventure youth worker so its hardly like I can go Climbing or sking or mountine hiking, or diving now!! so will have to claim also but what I will say is I have always paid tax! so therefore I am not 'scrounging' I am in a difficult situation and not intitled to materity pay so genually need help to manage... thats what the system is there for! so don't feel ashamed! you are going to be working - being a mum is a fulltime 24 hour 7 day a week job with no holidays or sick pay and poorly paid!
  • you should be able to claim maternity allowance from the jobcentre then when baby arrives you should be able to claim child tax credit and child benefit and plus your hubby might be able to claim working tax credits and dependant on how much he is earning you also might be able to get help off the council for rent and poltax help hope this helps xxx
  • Thank you very much for all your support and help image
    It's just such a culture shock and I need to get used to it lol.
    It_must_be_love how ironic that you are covering maternity and get preggo lol perhaps there is something in the water there, thats cool that you are showing at three months i'm 16 weeks now and all that has happened is i've lost 6lb and my belly has gone hard lol i can't wait to be waddling around.

    C
    xx
  • In very similar situation to you! Have been out of work since October and found out pregnant 2 wks later. Was honest at interviews and never got offered anything! You will be entitled to maternity allowance if you have worked for 26wks of the 66wks prior to due date and this can be claimed 11wks before due date. It is ??112.75 per wk. When baby is born claim for tax credits - child and working - and you will also be able to claim for the ??500 sure start maternity grant before lo is 3 mths old. You will also get child benefit which is currently ??72.90 per mth but goes up every April by about ??2. Hope all this helps - have had to look into this myself. Good luck, love Lee x
  • I had just started a new job and found out i was preg two weeks later they let me go as i was in training and the training was too expensive as i dont plan to return to work after the baby born. I went to my local jobcentre and they saidi could get a maternity grant of 500 and sent me an application, im still looking for work as i hate sitting at home relying on hubby to pay for me, its very tight. but for now ive signed up for jobseekers and aparently will be able to get maternity allowance after reaching 20 weeks until baby 2 months old. so hopefully we will get by, ive beentrying to think of becoming my own boss and starting my own business for after the baby comes, as i get what you mean about relying on benefits, but at the end of he day darling, i have paid tax and national ins since the age of sixteen i have never been without a job so when he unexpected pops up, you should not be afraid to get the govs help. I have added up that i have paid almost 10,000 min o the gov in tax etc over the past two yrs fulltime work never mind before, so why should i be embarrased to ask for a little help until i get my feet back on the ground so to speak.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Featured Discussions