Maternity benefit

izzyflusky

Hi! I'm not pregnant yet, and probably won't start TTCing for another year or two. However, I'm a planner and I had my first child while living abroad, so I started looking up information now.

My question is... how do moms manage on 230 euro a week for the duration of their maternity leave? I'm starting to really wonder if I'll be able to have a second child now. DH works, but I'm the main breadwinner at the moment and although the situation may change in future, I'm still baffled! I thought the payment would be a based on the mother's salary...

Any experiences or thoughts on the matter are welcome!


edit. Just realised that maybe this is in the wrong section of "parenting", if it is..could any mod move the thread?

kandr10

izzyflusky wrote: »

Hi! I'm not pregnant yet, and probably won't start TTCing for another year or two. However, I'm a planner and I had my first child while living abroad, so I started looking up information now.

My question is... how do moms manage on 230 euro a week for the duration of their maternity leave? I'm starting to really wonder if I'll be able to have a second child now. DH works, but I'm the main breadwinner at the moment and although the situation may change in future, I'm still baffled! I thought the payment would be a based on the mother's salary...

Any experiences or thoughts on the matter are welcome!


edit. Just realised that maybe this is in the wrong section of "parenting", if it is..could any mod move the thread?

Are you not entitled to maternity from your employers? Basically i was in very temporary work that didnt give me any entitlements other than the state benefits. I was delighted with it cos the other option was nothing! That said my partner is the higher earner so our big bills come from his salary. Really depends on circumstances i suppose.

Neyite

It is based on a mothers salary - but capped at a maximum of 230 per week. Some employers top it up, but a lot have dropped that particular benefit in kind and blamed the recession.

You just manage. If you cant, then you need to either use your savings or wait until your partner is in a better paid position before you have a baby. Even when you go back to work, childcare will take a huge chunk of your after tax income so you might as well get used to the reduced spends after necessary bills. You do get child benefit of 130 per month which helps a lot.

Chattastrophe!

Don't forget it's taxable now too!

Coopaloop

izzyflusky wrote: »

Hi! I'm not pregnant yet, and probably won't start TTCing for another year or two. However, I'm a planner and I had my first child while living abroad, so I started looking up information now.

My question is... how do moms manage on 230 euro a week for the duration of their maternity leave? I'm starting to really wonder if I'll be able to have a second child now. DH works, but I'm the main breadwinner at the moment and although the situation may change in future, I'm still baffled! I thought the payment would be a based on the mother's salary...

Any experiences or thoughts on the matter are welcome!


edit. Just realised that maybe this is in the wrong section of "parenting", if it is..could any mod move the thread?

My advice to you is to start saving as much as you can now. I really wish I had, my employers didnt pay maternity, I was lucky to get in on time for the €262 payment, but it was still peanuts compared to what I was used to getting. You do just get on with it and manage but its tough, thankfully my partner gets a good wage too so we got by. Im back to work next week, the only thing im looking forward to about going back is money, I could only afford to take the 6 months, if I had been more prepared I wish I could have taken the additional time off. My plan now is to start saving for baby number 2, so when we do decide to have another I will have the money to take extra time off and also have more time with my baby, the thoughts of leaving him next week is killing me

izzyflusky

I guess we will have to save. Chances are DH will be in a better job when the time comes but I will probably still earn quite a bit more so we are gonna feel it either way.

It's a bit unfair really, not looking to start a debate, but considering the amount of taxes we pay...Very disheartening.

How Strange

I was paid 70% of my salary for 16 weeks and only statutory maternity benefit got the last 10. I had a fair amount of savings but it all vanished in those 10 weeks and now that we're paying crèche fees for 2 I've never been able to get back on top of it.

However....I'd do it all over again if I wanted another baby. I personally wouldn't let money stop me. We're much poorer nowadays but we've got a fantastic little girl who is worth being poor for!

Moonbeam

I got full pay when I was working full time but also took a few weeks unpaid leave and found it was good practice for paying for creche.