Money Concerns: Pregnant and Need Help with Money?

Benefits Guide
Questions or Concerns

United States of America:

If you are pregnant and need help with money in the US, these are the benefits you can apply for:

Where to Start:
The extensive list of resources can be overwhelming. First, go to your local Medicaid office. Here you can apply for several of the resources listed below.

Child Care

• Childcare Resource and Referral Service
• Child Care Assistance Program
• Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)

Child Support

• Paternity needs to be established for the mother to receive child support.

Food

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known as food stamps, provides debit cards to low-income and no-income families to purchase of groceries.
• Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program provides food vouchers for you while you are pregnant and your baby after birth.
• Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

Housing

• HUD Public Housing Assistance Program (Section 8), Housing Choice Voucher Program, Foreclosure Prevention.
• Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) helps with delinquent mortgage payments .

Insurance

• Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Low-cost health- and dental insurance
• Medicaid (Health Coverage for pregnant women and families with inadequate- or no health insurance)

Living Expenses

• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps pay electricity and gas bills.
• Lifeline Assistance Program: Free mobile phone service and reduced cost internet

Newborn Payment

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides financial aid during the last three months of pregnancy and after birth.

Tax Benefits

• Child Tax Credit ($2000 per child per year)

Unemployment Benefits

• Unemployment benefits
• Extra Assistance During the Corona Virus Pandemic

United Kingdom:

Child Care

• Childcare grants cover 85% of your costs, paying up to £148.75 per week if you are in training/education.
• Childcare element of working tax credit: up to £122.50 per week for one child (70% of £175) or up to £210 per week for more than one child (70% of £300).
• Find daycare and find out if you can get help with childcare costs.

Child support

• Prenatal: The biological father is obligated, if he has an income, to help pay for the mother’s pregnancy expenses, including maternity clothes and vitamins.
• If able, both parents must contribute to the cost of raising their child until the child turns 19. The parent who does not live with the child usually pays child support.

Disabled Child

• Disability Living Allowance is £24.45 to £156.90 per week when caring for a disabled child.
• Child Disability Payment (Scotland) of £64.50

Food

• Healthy Start (Best Start in Scotland) helps you receive nutritious food. 

Housing

• Social Housing (NI) or Council Housing (GB)
• Housing Benefit (Universal Credit is replacing this)

Living Expenses

• Child Benefit of £21.80 for the first child and £14.45 for any additional children.
• Universal Credit of £265.31 per month for under 25-year-olds and £334.91 per month for over 25-year-olds.

Newborn Payment

• Sure Start Maternity Grant gives you £500 start-up money for baby equipment.
• Or Pregnancy and Baby Payment (Scotland) of up to £642.35.

Parental Leave

• Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP): You are eligible if your weekly earnings exceed £123. You would receive 90% of your regular pay for the first six weeks. For the next 33, you would receive up to 90% of your average income, not exceeding £156.66.
• Maternity Allowance is for women who are working but cannot receive statutory maternity pay. This payment is given for up to 39 weeks. The amount is equal to Statutory Maternity Pay.
• Paternity Pay and Leave of 90% of pay, up to £156.66 for 1-2 weeks
• Shared Parental Leave and Pay of up to a combined 50 weeks’ leave and 37 weeks of pay. The amount is 90% of the parent’s salary for up to £156.66 per week.
• Extra Maternity Benefit is paid when the baby is premature. Here, the weeks between the birth and the beginning of scheduled maternity leave are covered at 90% of average pay.

Tax Benefits

• Council Tax Reduction: This substantial reduction varies according to location. Ask your local council for details.
• Child Tax Credit is income dependent and is paid until your child turns 16 or completes their education.
• Working Tax Credit for single parents who work at least 16 hours a week.
• 30-Hour Element: Extra tax credit for single parents who work at least 30 hours a week.

Unemployment

• Jobseekers’ Allowance is £61.05 per week for under 25-year-olds and £77.00 for over 25-year-olds.

Republic of Ireland:

Child Care

• Universal Childcare Subsidy pays € .50 per hour.

Child Support

• Usually, the father of your child is financially responsible for paying child maintenance.

Housing

• Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is replacing Rent Supplement. The goal of this payment is to make rent affordable.
• Local Authority and Social Housing

Living Expenses

• Child Benefit €140 per month
• One Parent Family Payment of €40 per week.
• Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA): €206   
• Working Family Payment amounts to 60% of the difference between your actual income and the income limit set by the government.

Parental Leave

• Maternity Benefit: is only for women on maternity leave who have paid into the system. You would receive €250 per week for 26 weeks.
• Parents’ Benefit of €250 per week for up to 5 weeks
• Paternity Benefit of €250 per week for two weeks
• Extra Maternity Benefit is paid when the baby is premature. Here, the weeks between the birth and the beginning of scheduled maternity leave are covered at €250 per week.

Unemployment

• Jobseeker’s Benefit is between €93.30 and €162.90 per week with an additional €40 per child under 12.

Canada:

If you are pregnant and need help with money in Canada, these are the benefits you can apply for:

Child Care

• Universal Childcare Benefit: $100 per month
• Childcare Subsidy

Child Support

• Usually, the father of your child is financially responsible for its upbringing by paying child support.

Disabled Child

• Child Disability Benefits $224.58 per month

Food

• Prenatal Nutrition Program

Living Expenses

• Automated Benefits Application: use this link or make your application on your child's birth registration.
• Canada Child Benefit of up to $541.33 per month
• Child and Family Benefits Calculator tells you how much you are due (up to $CAN 6,833 per child annually).
• Social Assistance/Basic Income Assistance/Emergency Benefit for single parents over 16: up to $974.00 monthly.

Tax Benefits

• Sales Tax Credit: quarterly payment

Unemployment Benefits

• You may be eligible for unemployment benefits.

Australia:

Child Care

• Child Care Subsidy — to help pay for approved child care costs.
• Additional Child Care Subsidy (a.k.a., JET Child Care Fee Assistance, Grandparent Subsidy, Transition to Work Subsidy), Temporary Financial Hardship Subsidy, Child Wellbeing Subsidy) One hundred hours of care is paid per fortnight.

Child Support

• In most cases, the child's father is obligated to pay child support.

Disabled Child

• Carer Payment: up to $987.60 per fortnight if you care for a disabled child.

Housing

• Rent Assistance gives you extra help if you rent privately.
• Social Housing (Make a web search for your state)

Living Expenses

• One-off Cost of living payment of $250.
• Centrelink – Parenting Payment (also known as Single Parent Benefit, Single Mothers Pension, or Big Pay) A maximum fortnightly payment of $880.20 helps with the costs of caring for children. It is paid to the primary caregiver of a child.
• Energy Supplement
• Centrelink – Telephone Allowance helps with telephone and home internet service costs.
• Affordable Connectivity Program: Help with internet bills and the purchase of a laptop computer.
• Youth Allowance: You can claim this benefit if you are 24 or under and studying, or under 22 and looking for work or unable to work. Eligible youth will receive up to $679 per fortnight.
• Single Income Family Supplement: Up to $300 per year
• Crisis Payment for Extreme Circumstances: Four one-off payments are possible per year. Each payment is equal to one week’s worth of AUStudy.

Newborn Payment

• Newborn Upfront Payment: A one-off payment of $575 per child.
• Newborn Supplement: You may be eligible for up to $1,725.36 for the first 13 weeks of your baby’s life.

Parental Leave

• Parental Leave Pay for working women who want to take up to 18 weeks off after their baby is born. You can receive $772.55 per week. This period can be chosen immediately after giving birth or after taking maternity leave or vacation time.
• Dad and Partner pay: Payment of $772.55 per week for up to two weeks while taking care of your child.

Tax Benefits

• Family Tax Benefit Part A. Your family’s taxable income must be under $80,000. The maximum amount for a baby is $191.24 per fortnight.
• Family Tax Part A Supplement: Up to $788.40 per child per year.
• Family Tax Benefit Part B is for single moms or one-income families.

Unemployment

• Jobseeker Payment: You must be over 22 to receive this payment of up to $691 per fortnight.

Baby Items

• Low Income Australia

You can also call the Families and Parents line @ 13 61 50

New Zealand:

Childcare

• Childcare Subsidy helps with preschool childcare. You would receive approx. $5.60 per hour.

Child Support

• In most cases, the parent not living with his child must pay child support.

Disabled Child

• Child Disability Allowance: $106 per fortnight to cover extra expenses related to caring for a disabled child.

Food

• Food Voucher

Housing

• Public Housing
• Emergency Housing is free for the first week. After that, you pay 25% of your income for rent.

Living Expenses

• Sole Parent Support up to $512.00 weekly while you look for a job or get ready for employment.
• Community Services Card provides a discount on public transportation and healthcare costs.

Newborn Payment

• Best Start payments are $60 per week for the first year. Payments may be extended by another two years.

Parental Leave

• Paid Parental Leave pays for 26 weeks starting at or before birth. The maximum weekly payment is $661.12
• Preterm Baby Parental Leave Payment is paid from the time the baby is born until the calculated 36th week of pregnancy. The payment is equal to the Paid Parental Leave payment.

Tax Benefits

• Working for Families Tax Credit Payment, including Family Tax Credit and In-Work Tax Credit. Weekly entitlement could be around $689.00.
• Rates Rebates up to $665 off your rates bill

Unemployment Benefits

• If you cannot work during your pregnancy, you may be able to claim unemployment benefits.

South Africa:

Child Support

• The father of your baby is obligated to pay child maintenance. The amount for one child is 12% of his gross income. He pays 16% for two children and 19% for three children.

Disabled Child

• Care Dependency Grant is given to parents raising disabled children. R1 980 is provided per month.

Food

• SASSA Grocery Voucher for up to 6 months

Housing

• FLISP Government house subsidy: up to R168.853 to buy a house
• Social Housing Company and National Association of Social Housing Organizations

Living Expenses

• SASSA Child Support Grant: R460 per month.
• SASSA Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant: You are eligible to apply if you are over 18 and not receiving other grants.

Unemployment

• Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) provides payment when missing work during maternity and parenting.

Austria:

• See our Austrian page: Finanzielle Hilfen

Germany:

• See our German page: Schwanger – was steht mir zu?

Italy:

• See our Italian page: Cosa mi spetta in gravidanza?

Portugal:

• See our Portuguese page: Ajuda financeira para grávidas e mães

Switzerland:

• See our Swiss page: Finanzielle Hilfen