1st time parents need advice about benefits? UK?

You will still get help,your benefits will change once the baby is born,you must speak to the benefits agency for details.By the way from this month you have to work 24 hours or more to get working tax credit, it will just suddenly stop you know! Didn't you receive a letter from them,my friend works 18 hours a week and she got a letter from them a few weeks ago saying that unless she told them she was going to be working 24 hours a week or more,that from the 6th april this year her payments would stop,she will now have to look for more work,she cannot manage on 18 hours a week without the tax credits! A lot of people are going to be caught out by this because there has not been much publicity about it.

actually u will NOT be able to get working tax credits as from the 6/4 u have to work at least 24 hours a week to be able to claim them. u will get housing benefit, child tax credit and child benefit. (housing and child tax credit depends on income)

Use the benefits calculator on the link to give you an idea. Things may be different once your baby is born.

You will still get help,your benefits will change once the baby is born,you must speak to the benefits agency for details.By the way from this month you have to work 24 hours or more to get working tax credit, it will just suddenly stop you know! Didn't you receive a letter from them,my friend works 18 hours a week and she got a letter from them a few weeks ago saying that unless she told them she was going to be working 24 hours a week or more,that from the 6th april this year her payments would stop,she will now have to look for more work,she cannot manage on 18 hours a week without the tax credits! A lot of people are going to be caught out by this because there has not been much publicity about it.

actually u will NOT be able to get working tax credits as from the 6/4 u have to work at least 24 hours a week to be able to claim them. u will get housing benefit, child tax credit and child benefit. (housing and child tax credit depends on income)

Use the benefits calculator on the link to give you an idea. Things may be different once your baby is born.

If you move into together her benefits will change. Since me and my partner moved in together we were only entitled to housing benefit which doesn't cover half the rent and my partner doesn't make great money. You can't get working tax credit unless you work over 24 hours per week. You can get some help with the rent by calling up your local council benefit office, but you won't get the full rent paid, probably not even half if you are working! She will be entitled to less as you have an income, a joint income, when living together. she may not get certain bills paid, or reductions anymore. That's what happened to me. It was cheaper living alone! You will only be entitled to child benefit and possibly child tax credit. Her JSA will turn into income support after 29 weeks, but she is not entitled to anything more. And sadly, neither are you! Alot of people assume they can get lots of benefits, but really, the only people who do are single parents and the disabled!

As others have said you won't be entitled to working tax credit unless you work 24 hours or more. The bracket between 16 and 23 hours work is the worst bracket to be in as you're basically entitled to nothing, maybe housing benefit depending on your circumstances but no JSA and no tax credits. So I suggest you ask for more hours at work, find a job with more hours or a second job so you can get working tax credits. If you move in with her full time and you continue to work 16 hours she MAY be entitled to continue with her JSA, which will turn into income support when she's 29 weeks pregnant however she also may not considering she'll have a working person living with her (it also depends on how much you earn). Housing benefit will also depend on what you earn but I would have thought you'd still be entitled to that, although maybe not full housing benefit. Once baby is here you'll receive child benefit and child tax credits. Also she should ask at job centre for a maternity grant form, its a one off payment of £500 given to those on benefits or on a low income with working tax credits. Its given from 29 weeks of pregnancy. If you get a job with over 24 hours you won't get JSA or housing benefit (well, you may get a small amount of housing benefit depending on your income and how much your rent is), but you will get working tax credits and once the baby is here child tax credits and child benefit. Hope that helped.

As others have said you won't be entitled to working tax credit unless you work 24 hours or more. The bracket between 16 and 23 hours work is the worst bracket to be in as you're basically entitled to nothing, maybe housing benefit depending on your circumstances but no JSA and no tax credits. So I suggest you ask for more hours at work, find a job with more hours or a second job so you can get working tax credits. If you move in with her full time and you continue to work 16 hours she MAY be entitled to continue with her JSA, which will turn into income support when she's 29 weeks pregnant however she also may not considering she'll have a working person living with her (it also depends on how much you earn). Housing benefit will also depend on what you earn but I would have thought you'd still be entitled to that, although maybe not full housing benefit. Once baby is here you'll receive child benefit and child tax credits. Also she should ask at job centre for a maternity grant form, its a one off payment of £500 given to those on benefits or on a low income with working tax credits. Its given from 29 weeks of pregnancy. If you get a job with over 24 hours you won't get JSA or housing benefit (well, you may get a small amount of housing benefit depending on your income and how much your rent is), but you will get working tax credits and once the baby is here child tax credits and child benefit. Hope that helped.