Health in Pregnancy Grant - £190 for mums-to-be!

http://campaigns.direct.gov.uk/money4mum2be/

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to apply to those on FLR?  Does anyone know more about this - is it 'public funds'?

It is public funds.

Usually (as informed by John, our resident benefits guru) health measures are not usually prohibited in the same way as other public funds, but it looks to me as though they have specifically classed this as a 'social fund payment' to get around it.

http://collections.europarchive.org/tna/20080821090815/http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/1/0/healthinpregrancygrantdraftregs070108.pdf

Vicky

Just a silly question, but I am curious: 
When you have ILR, do you then have access to public funds?  I assume so, but you know what they say about people who assume... 

yep, ILR = access to public funds.

That really cheese me off a bit...I'm entitled to maternity benefits and the like, but not this?  The differentiation, when almost all other health measures CAN be enjoyed by non-ILR immigrants, seems pointless.  I wonder why...

TBH - I don't really understand why they are doing it.  It seems like it's just money being given to mothers-to-be for going to see a dr/midwife during the pregnancy.  I would have thought that in the UK, that was a pretty standard thing to do these days and wouldn't have needed a government incentive to get people to see their midwife.   There doesn't seem to be any other criteria for a healthy pregnancy. 

That said...if they are giving out free money, I wish I could be a part of it!  But no ILR. 

That really cheese me off a bit...I'm entitled to maternity benefits and the like, but not this?  The differentiation, when almost all other health measures CAN be enjoyed by non-ILR immigrants, seems pointless.  I wonder why...

I believe the Health in Pregnancy grant is primarily meant for women who can't afford to buy healthy food, which is why it is a public fund.

I don't know why you would need money to see a midwife during pregnancy; it's free under the NHS.

That really cheese me off a bit...I'm entitled to maternity benefits and the like, but not this?  The differentiation, when almost all other health measures CAN be enjoyed by non-ILR immigrants, seems pointless.  I wonder why...

Your maternity 'benefits' are based on your NI contributions.

Personally, we're lucky here to have as good a benefit system to be 'entitled'    to anything at all, when as citizens in our own native country you're mostly entitled to nada.

As it's a 'grant', I wouldn't doubt if there are restrictions on it, as there are with the Sure Start Grant, for good reasons. 

These things are often means-tested for a reason. 

expat - I meant the word 'entitled' as meaning 'I am eligible to receive' - not some sort of loaded terminology.

I see the point in the grant and all, I was just having a moan that I won't be seeing a penny!  It's not means-tested, so that's why I was a little annoyed at being ineligible solely based on immigration status.  If it were means-tested, then obviously I could understand why I don't meet eligibility and why they only want to give it to those who truly need it.  As it stands, being exempted from something that's NOT means-based does aggravate me.  It's too bad the grant is for women-only based on the mother.  If it were based on the child, then my husband could apply!

Oh well.  Wasn't really meaning to start a debate - hope the info is useful to mums-to-be with ILR/British citizenship on this board!

I see the point in the grant and all, I was just having a moan that I won't be seeing a penny! 

Nor will any taxpayer who can't or chose not to have children or have already had them, regardless of their immigration status.

I mean, how fair is that?  Especially when it's basically money for doing what everyone's NI contributions are paying for anyone, antenatal care.

Lots of things are not fair.  I think it is unfair that I won't be entitled to anything other than basic maternity allowance.  I am LIVID that my husband (to be) won't be able to get paid time off work to the equivalent of maternity pay, even though this will result in me having to work until I drop and then either go back to work WITH THE BABY within two weeks of the birth.  I think it is unfair that, as a result of this, I am actually going to have to either delay having children or just be happy with my business collapsing.

It's only £190, but it makes me quite happy.

Vicky

Lots of things are not fair.  I think it is unfair that I won't be entitled to anything other than basic maternity allowance.  I am LIVID that my husband (to be) won't be able to get paid time off work to the equivalent of maternity pay, even though this will result in me having to work until I drop and then either go back to work WITH THE BABY within two weeks of the birth.  I think it is unfair that, as a result of this, I am actually going to have to either delay having children or just be happy with my business collapsing.

It's only £190, but it makes me quite happy.

Vicky

Exactly.  It's not fair, but there it is:  no public funds till you have ILR.

We got stung by this, too, because I didn't have ILR when DD1 was born.

But well, we weren't careful enough with the birth control and therefore paid the price for not waiting till I had it.

As my mom always said...life isn't fair. 

Whilst I wish I could claim it, a part of me thinks it could be better distributed.  At the end of the day, I don't "need" the money and if I were eligible would only be claiming it for some little extras.  I think it could be better spent on situations like Victoria's by upping the SMP for people who don't get the benefit of additional company pay.  Or it could be means tested to ensure that people who will most benefit from it, can take advantage of it. 

I don't mind paying taxes.  I don't mind the money being spent on programmes that help out the truly disadvantaged in society.  But I don't really understand blanket government handouts that don't seem to have any clear cut guidance.  A woman gets pregnant....She gets £190 regardless of her personal situation or lifestyle, just because she is British (oversimplifying here) and her baby is due after a certain date?  Seems a bit of a waste really, since someone who already lives a healthy lifestyle and is a multimillionaire can claim this as easily as a disabled unemployed person.

If anyone who does get the £190 but doesn't need it would like to donate it to me, I'd be willing to accept 

Seriously though...I have been thinking about this, and I think I have worked out why it is not means tested.  The focus for this payment is young girls from poor backgrounds who don't eat properly during pregnancy.  Many are very young, many are not well educated.  If they are told that they can have this money simply by presenting their maternity certificate then they will go and get it.   If they are told that they have to fill in a load of forms and prove their income (or lack of) then a vast number probably won't bother, so the target of this help will be missed.

Vicky

Personally, I think it is an enormous amount of money that, combined, could go to assist mothers who need it in some other way.

£190 is nice, but it won't buy all that much in relation to the cost of the new baby. I wish they had used it in another way or determined who received it by some kind of means testing.