Reading through an email about what benefits and help I could get and find it ridiculous that I am…

I know exactly what you mean! My partner and I both work and receive tax credits because our income is pretty low, it would have been amazing if we could have applied for the maternity grant with our first because our income just doesn't allow for sudden expenses (e.g. the cost of getting everything for a new baby in a short space of time). Instead, we had to rely on the kindness of family and friends to help us get everything for our son. Things like the sure start maternity grant should apply to low income households as well, we work hard, it's not exactly our fault that our jobs don't pay as much x

I am the exact same! Me and my boyfriend both work full time and basically when I go back to work after baby is here apart from my child/working tax credits and family allowance I will receive nothing whereas the people who don't have jobs are able to receive money for milk tokens, grants before baby is here the lot! It's so unfair in my eyes😞 xxx

Count yourself lucky receiving any help. The shit system actually makes it better for neither of you to work. I work a full time job and my partner is self employed. We receive absolutely no help at all and pay a full rent per month of over £500. They don't wanna help the people who actually look after themselves 👍🏽

Yep it really irritates me aswell. Like really really does. Me and my partner are not entitled to a single dime because my OH earns too much. Then we worked out what I'd get if we weren't living together and we were shocked at how much money I'd get and that's not including my salary either. What kind of lesson does it teach. Pisses me off. Xx

Completely agree @briony1994, me & my OH both work full time (40+ hours a week) and the only thing we get is child tax credit which is £80 a month. We've got mortgage and bills to pay which his wages will cover & hopefully my maternity will cover food etc but it isn't gonna be easy. Would be so nice if government could understand that it's just as hard for full time workers when on maternity as well as the people who work part time or not at all cx

AND....people on benefits get the free childcare hours from age 2. whereas working people get them from age 3. that's the one that makes the least sense.

Im glad I'm not the only one who sees what's wrong with this sort of thing, there's so many things to help new parents but none of it helps parents where both parents work, I'm not slating people on benefits at all because they need help aswell but the government need to realise it's not just people who are on benefits that need help, it's everyone @hrbn2 @zannam @lottegilxo @suzie31 @natroberts88 @tuftyturtle xx

I agree, hubs and I really could have done with a maternity grant and with my massive drop in income I'll no longer be able to contribute to the mortgage and household bills, my car is a big expense proportionate to my new level of income, but if I get rid of it I'll have no independence. But totally agree to the benefits for people that need them, hate the thought of babies and children going without and me and hubs are lucky to be in the situation we are in, just think more people need them than get them.

I'm not bothered about receiving no help because we don't need it, it's just the childcare thing like @tuftyturtle mentioned. Why not give free childcare to those who work. Especially full timers

exactly. Instead they give the free childcare to people who don't work ! how backwards. I only work 16 hours a week since having my first baby but it's not worth me returning after my second. because 2 days at nursery for 2 children is £800 a month. I get paid well but not that much for 16 hours lol

don't they cover some of that in the childcare element of tax credits? @tuftyturtle when we looked at it, i think you can get up to 75% of it paid for you. i don't know if it depends on your income or not xx

yeah you only get tax credits if you earn less than a certain amount. they pay 70% we get that at the moment but we won't next year when I'm due back at work because my husband has changed jobs so our wages combined will be too much. if I leave work..we will get tax credits. so backwards lol

@charliebrown89,

riiight i get you @tuftyturtle that really sucks. the people that pay in barely get anything out. so wrong! xx

I totally feel like your shafted coz you work. You put in to the system and get nothing in return when you need it. I know for a fact someone who doesn't work will be better off than me when I'm on maternity leave. It's just wrong!!x