Student parent & maternity benefits

Student Parent & Maternity Benefits Maternity Benefits Benefit Regulations are extensive and complex. Within this leaflet, we have tried to simplify the relevant information and concentrate on the situations we see most often. If you feel your situation is more complex or does not fit within the information in this leaflet please contact Money@CampusLife to speak to an advisor.

“Qualifying Week” - For the purpose of this leaflet and for Maternity Benefits in general, the term ‘qualifying week’ refers to the 15th week before the week in which your due date falls. I.e. The 25th week of pregnancy.

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) - www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/overview To help you to take time off work before and after your baby is born, you may be able to get Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) or Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP). This is a weekly payment from your employer. The amount paid to you is dependent on your previous earnings or the statutory minimum, whichever is lower.

To qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay you must have:  Been employed by the same employer continuously for at least 26 weeks prior to your qualifying week.  Been earning on average over £112 per week in the 2 months up to the last payday before the end of your qualifying week.  Provide your employer with a MATB1 form to evidence pregnancy by the end of your qualifying week.

Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) - www.gov.uk/employers-paternity-pay-leave To qualify for Statutory Paternity Pay you must fulfil the SMP criteria and the following must also apply:  You must be the biological father or adopter of the child or be the mothers (or adopter's) husband, partner or civil partner, or have or expect to have responsibility for the child's upbringing.  You must continue to work for that employer without a break, up to the date the child is born or placed for adoption.  You may also be able to apply for Additional Paternity Leave & Pay, which allows you to transfer some Statutory Maternity Pay to Statutory Paternity Pay. For more information, please see the Direct Gov website (link above).

Maternity Allowance - www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance/overview If you are pregnant or have a new baby but do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) from your employer, you may be able to claim Maternity Allowance (MA) through Jobcentre Plus.

You may be eligible if:  You have been employed and/or self-employed for at least 26 weeks in your 'test period' (66 weeks up to and including the week before the week your baby is due) - part weeks count as full weeks.  You earned £30 a week averaged over any 13 weeks in your test period.

Maternity Entitlement Calculator If you are unsure what you are entitled to, you can use the maternity entitlement calculator to get a better idea of what you can receive https://www.gov.uk/pay-leave-for-parents Student Income during Maternity NHS students who suspend their studies due to maternity are entitled to receive bursary payments for a further 12 months. Undergraduate students who receive Student Loans and Grants can also apply for discretionary

funding from their funding provider to help cover living costs during a period of suspended study due to maternity leave. Speak to a Money@CampusLife advisor or read our “Appealing for Discretionary Funding on the grounds of CPR” booklet for more information on how to do this.

Sure Start Maternity Grant (SSMG) - www.gov.uk/sure-start-maternity-grant/overview The SSMG is a one off £500 payment that is intended to help buy things for your first child (or you are expecting a multiple birth such as twins). It is intended for low-income families and you must be in receipt of Income Support, Income Based Jobseekers Allowance, Income Based Employment Support Allowance, and Working Tax Credit where a disability component is included in the award, or in receipt of the maximum family element of Child Tax Credits.

This means most students will not be eligible until after they have given birth and have received their Child Tax Credit notification. You can apply by completing a SF100 form from the Jobcentre and you MUST apply no later than 3 months after the birth.

Healthy Start Vouchers - www.healthystart.nhs.uk/ The Healthy Start scheme provides free vitamin supplements and/or weekly vouchers that you can put towards the cost of milk, plain fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables or infant formula milk.

You may qualify for ‘Healthy Start’ if you are at least ten weeks pregnant, have a child under four and get Child Tax Credit, with a family income of £15,860 a year or less.

This means that students who are expecting their first child, or who don’t have a child less than 4 years of age, are able to apply for this scheme once their child is born.

Student Funding for Parents Once your child is born and you return to study you will be able to apply for supplementary grants. All supplementary grants are means tested so there is no guarantee you will receive them, as it is dependent on your household income. You will be able to apply to your funding provider for a Parental Learning Allowance (PLA), Dependents Allowance (NHS only) and the Childcare Grant (CCG).

The CCG can only be paid for registered childcare and pays a maximum of 85% of your costs. Supplementary Grants are non-repayable and are paid in addition to any student loans you have taken out.

Student Parents and Benefits Most full-time students cannot claim income-related benefits but you may be able to claim if you are a single parent, have a partner who is also a student (and one or both of you are responsible for a child), or if you have a disability.

If you have a partner who is not a student and they are eligible for any income-related benefits, your partner can claim on behalf of you both.

Child Benefit - www.gov.uk/child-benefit/overview Once your child is born, you should apply for Child Benefit. If you or your partner earn individually over £50,000, you may have to pay a tax charge. Even if your income is too high you should still apply to ensure your receive your National Insurance Contributions.

You should apply within 3 months of the birth to ensure you receive your full entitlement.

Child Tax Credit & Working Tax Credit - www.gov.uk/child-tax-credit You may also be entitled to Child Tax Credit if you (or your partner) have at least one dependent child, your income is below a certain level and you meet the residency tests set by legislation.

You may be entitled to Working Tax Credit if you (or your partner) are responsible for a child and work at least 16 hours per week, and your income is below a certain level, and you meet the residency tests set by legislation.

Housing Benefit - www.gov.uk/housing-benefit/overview If you are currently in rented accommodation, you may be able to apply for Housing Benefit. If you are a single parent or a couple who are both full time students, it is advised you apply for Housing Benefit. It is means tested so there is no guarantee you will receive an award but a large percentage of students do receive some help.

Income Support & Jobseekers Allowance Lone student parents with a child under 5 years of age are able to apply for Income Support during the summer vacation. Lone parents or one parent in a student couple who have at least one dependent child may be eligible to claim Job Seekers Allowance during the summer vacation if they are available to work. Please speak to the Money@CampusLife team for more information.

Council Tax - www.gov.uk/council-tax Full time students are not liable to pay council tax. If you are a single parent, living with your child/ren you will receive a 100% discount. However if you live in a household with 1 adult who is liable to pay council tax you will receive only a 25% reduction in your council tax.

Part-time Students Part-time students can apply for income-related benefits if they’re on a low income and meet certain conditions.

Swansea University Opportunity Award https://myuni.swan.ac.uk/money-campuslife/apply,for,practical,financial,assistance/ The Money@Campus Life Team administers the Swansea University Opportunity Award for Swansea University students. The Award is a discretionary, means tested fund that is intended to help students who are struggling financially or have unforeseen expenses with a non-repayable grant. It is available to all UK and EU students (i.e. not international) who have taken out all statutory funding entitlements. Eligibility to apply does not guarantee an award.

Other top tips for new Parents Bounty Pack – Make sure you get yours from the hospital or your midwife.

Join Baby Clubs – Many shops and supermarkets have baby clubs that provide freebies and money off vouchers – join as many as you can.

Shop out around for those essentials – Supermarkets have own-brand goods that are often cheaper than their branded equivalents. “We found the best Nappies were those from Aldi; they were a quarter of the price of branded Nappies too” Rob from Money@CampusLife Babies are costly, but you do not need to buy everything brand new – checkout eBay, Gumtree, facing selling groups or just ask friends when looking for larger items such as prams or cribs.

Baby Clothes – They grow out of them so quick, you do not need to spend a fortune, look for the sale rails or shop at supermarkets for cheap fun baby clothes that do not cost a fortune.

Want 57 more baby and toddler money saving tips? Check out www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/babychecklist For more information, please join Money@Campus Life on MyUni: https://myuni.swan.ac.uk/moneycampuslife/ CONFIDENTIALITY: All information dealt with by the Money@CampusLife team is done so in the strictest confidence. On the occasions that we need to consult staff from other departments, we will do so only with prior consent from you. *Information is correct as of September 2016.