Pregnant again but worried about work

[loza]

Hello, I am pregnant with my second child. I'm 5 weeks pregnant and my daughter is 11 months old. I currently work full time and my daughter luckily resides with my mum who cares for her from 9-4:30 each day until my partner arrives home. My partner also works full time, but now with having the future set out with two young children I'm wondering what to do with regards to my job? We have a mortgage and bills to pay, I work in admin, my partner as a stone restoration worker. We don't earn too much but just enough really, it all pays the bills with alittle extra for family days etc. My mum has offered to have both children full time when this new ones born but I just dont feel I could put that responsibility on my mum's shoulders and I feel that my babies will need their own mum.
My question is...what would me and my partner be entitled to if I was to leave my job and my partner to work full time? And if i was to do this, should i leave now, or leave after my maternity pay has been received from work and then return for just 6 months to repay what's owed before resigning?? x
Thanks for all comments...much appreciated as I need the advice, this time should be a happy one but it's becoming more of a stress wirlwind for us!! x

[redcrx]

are you working now or on maternity leave?

if you didnt go back after maternity leave youd only have to repay any monies your employer paid over and above the statuatory maternity pay.

could you request going back part time? how about looking into childminders and getting some money towards cost of that from tax credits?

[natalie_1982]

It all depends on your individual circumstances, and tax credits won't tell you how much you are entitled to until you are in the position that you need it.

I would think your best option, assuming you don't want your mum to have both babies all week, would be to investigate the possibility of a childminder / nursery for a couple of days per week to give your mum a rest. Or investigating the possibility of going part time? Your benefit entitlement is totally dependant on your income, your partner's income, how many hours you work, howmany your partner works, what you pay for childcare, etc. You could also look into whether your workplace operates a childcare voucher scheme?

[tigwig]

I wouldn't hand your notice in yet. As far as I was aware you don't have to pay maternity pay back even if you don't return to work. I would go to the Citizens Advice Bureau or their website to find out for certain. Maybe you could go back to work part time? All employers now have a legal obligation to consider this option. I think you could get a rough idea of the tax credit if you go onto their website as you can do an online calculation. Congratulations by the way! And if you live near me in West Yorks and decide to look for a childminder I have just registered today!!

[loza]

lol thanks tigwig but no, I live in Bolton near manchester ;-) x anyway, to answer the other questions asked no I am not on mat leave already i'm still working 9-5:30pm each day 5 days a week. I will book an appointment with my local C.A.B today. Hopefully they can give me more advice about this x
Thanks for all your answers, and going part time will definately be considered. If I did go part time would I get help from working tax?
Thanks
xx

[redcrx]

working tax credit will depend on what your family earnings are.

try doing some rough calculations on the tax credit website, you can juggle some figures and see what you may be entitled to with childcare and tax credits etc.

[ummmm]

Go on to the tax credits web site. They have a calculator on there to tell you what you are entitled to. You can put in all the scenarios and see what suits you best.

[redcrx]

https://www.taxcredits.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/Qualify/DIQHousehold.aspx

sorry forgot the link

[ummmm]

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/index.htm