Family Assistance

Oh yeah, it means you are on a higher income, but what it doesn't take into account is the fact that (certainly in our case) you are going down to half your income (as we earn the same amount), but do not suddenly halve our expenses.

Take Aklnd mortgages for example - now you need an entire average wage to service the average mortgage, that cost doesn't just go away when you go on leave!

The big difference is that people on higher incomes who don't qualify for any assistance usually save like a demon leading up to the leave period, then live off their savings to cover the basics of life over and above their mortgage.

I agree G&T, I think if we had 2 kids we would get some family assistance. I just wanted to point out that just because you earn more doesnt mean that your expenses miraculously disappear when you want them to. Especially in todays mortgage market.

Absolutlely! it astounds me that some people leave looking at finances right till the last minute then freak when they realise how tight things are going to be - much better to be prepared for tight finances for a few months before bubs arrives

wrxchic - you'd be able to get help from winz as well as the family tax thing.
It is possible to survive on one income for those who haven't been able to save anything. We moved towns as I'd been offered a new job then 2 weeks before I started we found out about the baby which resulted in the job being withdrawn, not to mention the fact that DH had taken a rather large paycut when we shifted. I was then far too sick to find another job so we've spent the last 8 months on one (rather small) income. No chance to save, baby things to buy and the normal day-to-day expenses. We've survived though. Hasn't always been easy but with a sensible budget and bugging winz to get as much extra support as possible then its ok. We get 8 weeks of payments from IRD after bubs is born because we don't get maternity leave so that helps. You can apply for that at the same time as the family tax cut one.

Im worried about $ aswell when I finally get pregnant and have my baby, we will be living off DF's 350-400 a week, and my maternity leave for a few months, but Im not going back to work for a while, I want to stay at home with bubs rather than spend all my wages on child care and miss all of baby's "Firsts". So we will be on a very tight budget, and im pretty sure we will be able to get family assistance so that will help a lot cos I really want to stay at home and DF wants me to be able to be at home with our child aswell
I guess its just a matter of budgeting really well and sticking to it.

Edited by Sheza

I have already talked to my manager and in our contract it says we have to have worked there for 12 months and i have only been there ten?

Yup it takes into account any money that mum has earned in that financial year. And yup it sucks!

I get where you're coming from BS ... one thing that irks me is that although DH and I would have a reasonable income from him, we wouldn't be entitled to any family assistance (aside from PPL), but we're not going to be rolling in money by any stretch of the imagination. It's in fact a bit scarey how little surplus there will be. I wonder how some people do it? Part of the reason our expenses are so high are things like insurances - health, life - and DH's super scheme, that sort of thing. So, although we are working hard to take care of ourselves in all respects, we're paying quite a price for it as well ...some family assistance to buffer the week by week budget would be lovely

Budget? What is this 'budget' of which you speak?

I must admit that we're learning a bit about that at the moment with the large bills about to start rolling in with fertility treatment! And, let's face it ...who wants to catch baby sick on a $200 top ...? Not me thanks.

MyBelly, just talk to someone at the right place ie. IRD or something. They'll tell you if you should apply under student allowance or WFF or both. I know as a student, you are entitled to certain hours of childcare free etc if you are on a low income.

On another note, I get what people say about not getting WFF, but it could be worse. And, yeah its right when people say you learn to go without. We are only on one income at the moment, I have no money for clothes, we never go out for dinner or away for the weekend etc. We also have to get a foreign language student in just to pay the mortgage, so you can make ends meet. Plus working 2-3 part time jobs.

Anyway, the moral - it can be done! You can live on one income, you just have to prioritise. I guess we are lucky because we bought in an area we didn't really want to buy in and an old house so that we could afford to live off one income. So maybe I guess just a bit of forward planning? And yeah, most people have 8-9 months to prepare. A bit off the topic, but yeah, its achievable and WFF is really there for lower income families.