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I’m the same and already worried about childcare costs for next year when she needs to go to nursery! It’s wild!
Yeah our little girl was a surprise after 14 years trying. So didn’t have savings. That with job changes etc we do get uc which varies and still a struggle. I don’t expect things for nothing but it’s so hard isn’t it. X
I’ve used a calculator before to see what we are entitled to, and there’s nothing for us. Luckily my partner brings in a wage but it’s still not a lot considering he’s having to pay our rent all by himself! Then with the bills it really doesn’t leave us with much, and not everyone has savings!
With everything else increasing too it’s never ending. X
@Jody just thought I’d jump on and warn you as it stung us, that the funded hours don’t start until the term after your little one turns 9 months. My LB turned 9 months old in January but we aren’t eligible until April. Left us struggling to find £700 before I went back to work! Didn’t want you to get caught out with the same x
@Emily thanks for the warning. I am aware of this, she’s 9 months in October and we are waiting until January for the funding 😩
I’m going to try apply for UC. Maybe we’re lucky and we get something, because I also don’t know how they expect people nowadays to survive just on SMP. They give more money to people without job under UC, why are mums/dads staying at home treated as if it was less hard to survive? 🥲🥲🥲
@Ermene they don’t give more money to mums without jobs I can assure you! I get UC & ESA which equals a little over £1k per month and I’m actually ‘lucky’ because I get slightly more due to being disabled. If I wasn’t it would be less. I’m also single so have no partner to help with bills etc
@Lauryn I didn’t mean mums! I meant when I was off work before becoming a mum I got full UC, which at least was over 1000£. Now I’m a mum and only get SMP, not even a third of my salary :( it’s just a struggle! I thought UC would top up a good amount for single mums to help them out!! They make it all really hard, don’t they?
Consider working a bit extra before the birth do bank / agency shifts .
Have you checked whether you're eligible for any additional benefits while on mat leave? There's a good calculator on Google, which will tell you if you're eligible for universal credit, etc. Without a good chunk of savings, it really is impossible to survive on!