The benefits that you will be able to get will depend upon your individual circumstances. Listed below are some of the main benefits that you may be able to get.
Housing and Council Tax Benefit
Maternity Allowance
This can be claimed if you cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay. It is paid if you are pregnant and within the last 11 weeks before the week that the baby is due. The benefit is not means tested but you have to meet employment and earnings rules and have finished work. You will need to have been an employee or have been self employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks immediately before the week the baby is due. Your earnings must have been at least £30 a week. The allowance is payable for up to 39 weeks.
JobCentrePlus - Working Age Benefits
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)
This is paid by your employer if you were working for your present employer in the 15th week before the week your baby is due and you were employed by them without a break for at least 26 weeks into that week and you were earning enough to be included in the National Insurance scheme. SMP is paid for 39 weeks maximum with the first 6 weeks at 90% of your normal pay and the remaining 33 weeks at £112.75 (increasing to £117.18 from 7th April 2008) a week (less if you normally earn less than this).
You must make sure that you follow the rules for notifying your employer if you wish to claim SMP both before and during the paid maternity leave. You will need form MATB1 to claim. If you don’t qualify for SMP then check if you can get Maternity Allowance. Check out your entitlement to maternity leave as well whether you qualify for SMP or Maternity Allowance.
Department for Work and Pensions - Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)
Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP)
This was introduced for employees for babies born since 6th April 2003. This can be leave for one or two consecutive weeks (not odd days) within 56 days of the actual birth (in most cases). The person taking paternity leave must have worked continuously for their employer for 26 weeks ending with the 15th week before the baby is due to be born. The rate of SPP is the same as for statutory maternity pay ( the lesser of 90% of average weekly earnings or £112.75/£117.18 from April 2008). Employees with earnings normally below the level of inclusion in the National Insurance scheme may be able to claim Income Support while on paternity leave. Like SMP, there are rules about notifying your employer that you wish to take paternity leave.
Department for Work and Pensions - Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)
Statutory Adoption Pay
This is available where a person is adopting or jointly adopting a child. The amount is the same as for statutory paternity pay but it is payable for up to 39 weeks. The person must have been employed continuously with their employer for at least 26 weeks ending with the week they are notified that they have been matched with a child for adoption. Employees must be earning enough to be liable for National Insurance contributions during this period. Employers have to be notified of the intention to take paid statutory adoption leave and given the supporting information regarding the details of the adoption by the adoption agency.
Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory form
Income Support
Paid to people under the age of 60, who are single parents, sick or within 11 weeks of the date that the baby is due (or up to 15 weeks after the baby was born). In some cases people on paternity or parental leave may also be able to claim. The benefit is means tested and will be affected by most income that you or your partner have coming in. Cannot be paid if you work 16 hours or more per week and/ or your partner works 24 hours or more (except for limited circumstances for certain disabled people with limited earnings capacity). Cannot be paid if you have savings over £16000. Income Support can help with mortgage payments.
JobCentrePlus - Working Age Benefits
Surestart Maternity Grant
Grant of £500 per child where you (or your partner) are on Income Support, income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Pension Credit, and certain people on the Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit. The grant must be claimed at any time from 11 weeks before the baby is due until 3 months after the actual date that the baby was born. This grant is also available for babies who are adopted but you must claim within three months of the adoption and the baby must be no more than 12 months old when you claim.
JobCentrePlus - Working Age Benefits
Child Benefit
Paid to people who are responsible for a child up to the age of 16 (or up to the day before their 20th birthday if still in full time non advanced education – no higher than A level). The benefit is not means tested but can affect the amount of other means tested benefits that you get, apart from tax credits where it is not counted as income. You also need to be claiming this benefit if you wish to claim means tested benefits for a child you have become responsible for (for example a grandchild or nephew). It is paid at a higher rate for the eldest qualifying child, then at a lower rate for other eligible children in your family.
HMRC - Child benefits eligibility
Housing and Council Tax Benefit
Paid if you are responsible for rent and/or council tax and you are on a low income. It is a means tested benefit and cannot be claimed if you have savings over £16,000.There are special rules if you are 60 or over.
These benefits are claimed from the Local Authority. Check if you qualify for a banding reduction on your council tax if you have a disabled child and adaptations have been made to your home.
JobCentrePlus - Working Age Benefits
Hounslow Council Tax benefit
Tax Credits
Working Tax Credit can be paid if you are working at least 16 hours per week and have children or an illness or disability or are working at least 30 hours per week and are 25 or over. There are special rules if you are 50 or over and working at least 16 hours per week. Child Tax Credit can be claimed if you have at least one dependant child. You may also get help with registered child care costs through tax credits with a maximum of 80% of the actual costs eligible (the limit is £175 for one child and £300 a week for two or more but only 80% maximum will be paid).
Tax Credits are means tested and are paid by HM Revenue & Customs. You may be able to get working tax credit during your paid maternity leave if you were working at least 16 hours a week before you went on maternity leave. You can apply for working tax credit for the period of your paid maternity leave and up to a further 13 weeks if you are taking additional maternity leave. This provision also applies for people getting statutory paternity pay, statutory adoption pay or maternity allowance. It can also be available as soon as the person starts their maternity or adoption leave where this is the first child but the person must have been aged 25 or over and working 30 hours a week prior to going on leave for the birth or adoption. Check also eligibility for child care costs element during maternity or adoption leave.
Tax credits - HM Revenues & Customs
Health Benefits
These can be claimed if you are on a low income and need help with prescription costs, dental or opticians fees, travelling to hospital or surgical aids and appliances.
JobCentrePlus - Working Age Benefits
Disability Living Allowance
If your baby or child has an illness or disability or behavioural problem which means that you need to give them extra care – more than another child of the same age – then they may be able to get this benefit. It has two parts – for care and for mobility. For care, eligibility starts from age 3 months but for mobility it is age 3 years for the higher mobility and age 5 years for lower mobility.
JobCentrePlus - Working Age Benefits
Directgov website -Caring for Disabled person
The benefits and tax credits that you may be able to apply for will depend upon your circumstances. If you are not sure about anything you should always seek advice. You can call us on our public helpline number 020 8583 5016.
For Further information please refer to:
Welfare, Benefits and Debt