How do you survive on SMP?
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Do you not get half pay + SMP for a few months after the 90% before it's just SMP? I've been on that so far and I've not got much less a month that was I used to get when I had full pay... But will be a shock to the system when it's just SMP in Feb's paycheck for sure. My husband will have to put in extra. And same as above, we made a pot of savings after finding out we were pregnant so we have that too to help x
Surly your partner can cover atleast half of your usual payment whilst you’re on maternity?
During my pregnancy we used one wage to cover all bills and to live off and saved the other wage. The savings in our joint account cover my share of bills and day to day things such as food shops, petrol, stuff I need to buy for us etc and my partner carries on topping it up each month out of his wage. Definitely best to get a joint account/combined finances set up and a conversation with your partner confirming how they are going to support you financially? X
You find a way, honestly it’s shocked me. My husband has granted put more in the joint for morg bills ext, but we still pay seperste our cars phones ext and have own money but obv for me it’s a struggle, I just don’t buy like I used to, if baby needs anything I’m lucky grandparents slip up £2/30 here and there and I saved as much as I could while pregnant so left with about 3k to stretch over, tbh I pay bills with mat leave and live of my savings so if one month I spent more I can, but next months I might only go for walks for two weeks and go no where so no money. I would suggest if you have food money in your joint account, make a separate savings or up it now coz I noticed once baby started eating and trying foods the food shop did up a little
Solo mum here. It’s hell honestly if I didn’t have my parents to help here and there I wouldn’t survive. I couldn’t save during my 8 months of pregnancy (my son was a month early) because I was on minimum wage and all my money went on buying things I needed for the baby or bills. I think because you have your partner you need to sit down with him and see what he can cover for you.
My plan was to save whilst being pregnant, but we found out we are having twins so all our savings are now being shifted to a new car! I do remember being on mat leave with my 1st things being a bit tight but in general as I was home more I saved some money in the 1st few months. Also 100% recommend using vinted and going to local nct sales
It will be easier to combine finances. Maternity pay is awful and employers should be forced to pay full maternity pay or as close to it as possible for the full year. We combined finances anyway, I changed to a cheaper car to save a couple of hundred a month and we consolidated credit cards onto a low interest loan over a long period to reduce the amount we were paying out over that year. When I went back to work we just paid it all back so it worked out quite well. But definitely put all of the money into one big pot then that way you both know what’s left after bills and work out what you can cut back on xx
I didn't. Thankfully I'd chosen a company which paid really good enhanced maternity pay. SMP is a joke! Your partner will need to pick up the slack. It's time to combine finances!
We (mainly my husband) saved during my pregnancy and usually split bills and rent down the middle then whatever is left goes into our joint account (I earn less so husband puts in more every month anyway). Whilst I'm only getting SMP, he's been topping up my half of bills and rent using the money saved, and we live off whatevers left after the rent and bills are paid. It means I'm going back to work when our LG is 5 months as we can't afford for me to be off longer and want to restart saving for a house
I didn’t. I earn more than my husband so losing my income was a big issue. I went back at 6 months for my first and 8 months with my second as I had savings second time round.
Your partner will need to pay more than 50% for a while, it's not a time for equal finances
@Georgie sounds like you've got an enhanced maternity pay policy at your work. Lots of people don't have this.
I’ve had to have a top up from universal credit to cover my half of the bills. My partner can’t afford to pay all the bills so this is the only way we’ve been able to get by!
If you want to stay with split finances (which I wouldn’t given you’re now a family) then it needs to be done on a percentage of earnings. Not percentage of costs. Step 1 - Work out percentage of household income i) Partner’s income/Total of both incomes x 100 = Partner’s percentage of household income. ii) Your income/Total of both incomes x 100 = Your percentage of household income Step 2 - Work out contribution due from each of you i) Total shared monthly expenses (£1,300 you said) x Partner’s percentage = how much your Partner contributes per month ii) Total shared monthly expenses (£1,300 you said) x your percentage = how much you contribute per month
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Saving initially, I got £238 this month. My husband gave me what my half of the bills is so I didn't have to cancel my standing order
It’s 90% after the first six weeks , what percent is it after that? Just curious. Are most people getting 90% for the first 6 weeks only? I thought it varied a lot from person to person. Thanks!
@M.J in the UK the government mandated minimum is 90% salary for 6 weeks and then £180 / $225 a week for 33 weeks and then 12 weeks unpaid. Different companies offer different enhanced packages on top though! My company for example gave me 100% salary for 9 months with my second as I'd been there so long. With my first I got 100% for 6 weeks and then 60% for 33 weeks. Those are both generous - lots of people just get the basic amount which is very difficult to survive on unless you have savings.
My partner had to cover all of the bills and mortgage and I used the SMP for me and babies daily spending
I saved a lot up in the run up to mat leave. It was the only way I could survive! I don't know how people do it unless their partner earns a significant amount or the reverse where they earn very little and can claim UC. Middle earners are screwed!
I don't think anyone really survives on it tbh it's not fit for purpose, without savings/a support network it's literally impossible I saved my ass off as soon as I found out I was pregnant and my partner paid more than me into our bills account and I managed 9 months maternity, idk how people go a full year with the last 3 months unpaid!
Barely … it’s shocking really… I don’t know how other people do it. We are just getting by cause of partner x
Savings? There is about 8 months between finding out the pregnancy until the child's birth so I am saving as much as I can until I stop working.