Free Money for having Kids

I've always been one of those people that winge about paying for other people's kids. However, with the impending arrival of the first mini-StabTiffy2B (god help the world), I've changed sides faster than the French and want every penny I can get my filthy little mits on.

I know a while ago that someone posted a link to a site that you enter your info on and it tells you everything that you're entitled to. However, I can't find it. If someone could re-post it, I would be gratefull.

Any other advice would be most usefull.

Save the abuse (for now). As soon as the knitting circle finds out, I'm sure there'll be a topic in the Naafi, for that.

Cheers,

StabTiffy2B.

 

Mrs Fox is also about to pup so Im intrigued by these so called freebies that the Stabmeister alludes to!!

 

Speak to your local council and citizens advice burro, the only thing they’re good at is giving money away. They’ll be in a better position to advise you than anyone here.

Still on topic:
I hear Goku is a good name for a son

 

Nice, Goku. Setting up a decoy for the fatwa that's coming your way after your "Dancing Muslim" post, I see...

 

Is this what you were after chaps?

It's very rare to get something for nothing in life. So when the government decides to hand out cash it's time to grab it with both hands. Despite this, millions of pounds worth of benefits go unclaimed each year, mainly because people do not realise that they are entitled to claim. With extra mouths to feed, it all helps.

Child Benefit

Any parent, regardless of earnings or National Insurance contributions, can claim Child Benefit. The tax-free payments are currently £17.00 a week for your first child and £11.40 a week for any other children. You should start claiming Child Benefit within three months of your baby's birth as your claim will not be backdated for by more than this. Payments will continue until the child is at least 16 years old.

Your local job centre or post office will provide claim forms and you will need to submit these with your child's birth certificate, which will be returned to you. The benefit will then be paid directly into your bank or building society account or by cheque. Payments are usually made once a month but single or low income parents can claim weekly payments.

Free NHS prescriptions and dental care

During your pregnancy and for 12 months after the birth of your child, you are entitled to free NHS prescriptions and NHS dental treatment. Your child also qualifies for free prescriptions until they reach the age of 16. Your doctor or midwife can provide the necessary forms.

Child Tax Credit

Most parents - even higher rate taxpayers - are eligible for monthly Child Tax Credit payments in addition to any Child Benefit. The opportunity to claim this tax credit is often overlooked by parents but nine out of 10 families qualify for it.

The value of the credit depends on how much you earn and payments are slightly higher for children under the age of one. As with Child Benefit, you should start claiming the Child Tax Credit within three months of your child's birth.

Working Tax Credit

Aimed at those on lower incomes, you don't even need children to claim this tax credit but it could provide a useful boost to parents. To be eligible, you need to be working at least 16 hours a week or on maternity leave from paid employment where you usually work for more than 16 hours per week. Payments are usually made through your salary, although it can be paid directly to self employed workers.

The value of this credit depends on how much you earned in the tax year before you apply plus the number and age of your children and whether you pay for registered childcare. It may be increased to help you pay for a registered childminder, nursery, play scheme or out of school club and could cover up to 70% of the costs so is well worth having.

With all tax credit claims, the Inland Revenue Tax Credit Helpline can confirm your eligibility and how much you will receive and also send you the relevant forms. Call 0845 300 3900.

The Child Trust Fund

This is designed to give children a head start and will come into effect in April 2005. Every child born on or after 1 September 2002 will be sent a voucher for £250 to be invested in a special savings account called a Child Trust Fund. Children from low income families will receive £500. Parents, families and friends can top up the fund by as much as £1,200 a year tax-free. The money will be made available to the child when he or she reaches the age of 18. Child Trust Fund accounts are available from banks, building societies and other financial organisations.

Other benefits

In addition to the ones highlighted, there are many other benefits available to parents, depending on their circumstances. If you're looking for work or managing on a very low income, you can apply for Income-based Jobseekers Allowance. If you are working part-time or are not able to look for work whilst pregnant or nursing, you may be entitled to Income Support. There are also various grants or loans available from the government's Social Fund for those under exceptional financial pressure plus free vitamins, milk, formula milk and help with the cost of getting to and from hospital for antenatal care.

Financial experts at the Children's Mutual have put together The Essential Guide to Money for Parents , a straightforward booklet to help parents understand their benefit entitlements. The guide covers benefits in detail and provides contact details for relevant agencies.

'The fact that some parents aren't claiming all the benefits they're entitled to means they are missing out on what could be an important addition to their monthly income,' explains David White, Chief Executive of The Children's Mutual.' We are encouraging parents to claim what has been allocated for them to help with the family finances.'

Since October 2004, the guide has formed part of the Pregnancy Welcome Pack from Global Baby Marketing, which contains free gifts and coupons. It is presented to expectant women through hospital scan units and antenatal clinics. Parents can also request a copy by calling 0500 800 830.

 

That's a great summary with two helpfull numbers.

Thanks Forces_Sweetheart,

StabTiffy2B.

 

Be careful and firm with the tax credit people though, they will try and shaft you as hard as they can.

T-T

 

Those lucky enough to have a wife who wants go back to work and is not employed by HM Forces, should get their wife to investigate 'child care vouchers'. Mrs Jailor's employers provide the scheme, it works like this, you buy vouchers at face value say £200p/m out of your pay before it is taxed. Therefore, you buy at £200 from Gross Pay, which really means you are buying them for £144 from net pay (assuming you are a lower rate tax payer). Therefore you reduce your childcare cost by 28%

The limitations of the voucher scheme are:

You have to earn more than c.£525 gross a month (not easy if you work p/t) as less than this you do not pay income tax and there is no benefit.

The company has to provide them, I don't what legal requirement there is and why some companies do and some don’t. (I think it was on of Gordon’s good ideas during the election)

You have to send your child with an Ofsted registered child minder or nursery.

You ability to claim WORKING tax credit is affected; so if you are claiming this you should ask advice from the revenue.

One question I have not been able to answer is why they are not available via the MoD....

 

And i really don't understand why the Hm Gov have capped the childcare vouchers at £217 per month. Why can't you write in the whole lot (in my case £419ish) and have done with it? Or will it affect the treasury that badly? Why can't they just really help rather than just offer a token effort?

OS

 

I don't know if you are in Germany but if you were you can apply under EU legislation to have the difference between UK Child Benefit and German KinderGelt paid into your German account. I can't remember exactly how much it is worth but it was a couple of hundred pounds (or was that Euros) a month or therabouts.

 

Childcare!! there is a hospital that is err 'close by' that has its own on site nursery for the children of hospital staff, the NHS staff get quite large reduction in the cost of putting their offspring into it, the Military MDHU staff who work there, do the same shifts, care for the same patients etc.. (plus mil duties, tours etc..) get shafted and have to pay the full whack!
Good to see that there is no bias or equal opportunities issue when it comes to the way the Military are treated.

 

I am eagerly awaiting another little Speedy in June, my first is now 16 months old, so here is a word of warning. The amount of money you will recieve is likely to be very little. Most benefit goes to people who's circumstances tick the right boxes only. If you are like my wife and I who both worked, and earnt an average wage (still better than an army wage though)
we were politely told to sling our hooks if we thought we were entitled to anything. We get a basic allowance, but child tax credits are next to worthless even though Mrs Speedy now stays at home to bring up our children as they evaluated us on our former earnings and my wage puits us above the threshold at which you are really helped out. For my wife to return to work would be worthless as all of her wages would go into childcare (but the govt gets to scam her for taxes), so my wage currently supports two people, and soon to be three. Thank God my home business is taking off, as we need every penny we can get hold of.
My advice is this: What the govt says is on offer is almost worthless, so plan ahead, and Morrisons nappies are just as good (if not better) as Pampers, and half the price.

 

Speedy congratulations on speedy jnr #2.

I also felt that I was being shafted but at the end of the day even as an OF2 with wife working p/t we still getting the £500 + £500 (under 1 years old) from Child Tax Credits and Child Benefit worth another £800 p/a. Yes the CTC system is complete arrse to deal with but take it for every penny you can get. All the money above is tax-free another little bonus..

As for wives going back to work, it is worth remembering that if they work full or part-time they may get more from their employer than the state would provide; if they want to squeeze out (Mrs Jailor's phrase) no. 2 or 3 in materity pay.

Damn right plan ahead, shop around and the little stinkers are exceptionally expensive but I can not believe that any of us decieded to have kids to make us rich.....off to check e-bay to see what the price Jailor Jnr sold for