# Finances once child is placed?



## Daddyboo (Paul) (Dec 24, 2012)

If my wife is entitled to 50% pay whilst on adoption leave, will she also get the SAP too? or is it whichever is the higher of the two?

I can't find anywhere to sat that she would get both.

This week's Home Study (Thurs) is centred around finances and budgets, but if I don't know our income it's hard to fill in the budget homework.

Thanks


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## Sq9 (Jan 15, 2013)

I don't think she is entitled to both - if she is contractually entitled to 50% pay I think that is all she gets.  Statutory adoption pay is 90% of gross weekly earning or about £137 whichever is the lowest and that is what you get if you have no contractual entitlement to anything else. If she is only entitled contractually to 50% pay for say 6 months, she can get sap for another 3 months.  That is my understanding of it anyway based on what I've read so hope that helps!


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## thespouses (Jan 5, 2006)

Her employer gets SAP back from the government and tops it up.


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## oliver222 (Oct 8, 2009)

It will depend what her company offers. I get 90% salary first 6 weeks and then 50% pay plus smp up to 6 months and then smp for 3 months.


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## Daddyboo (Paul) (Dec 24, 2012)

She gets 90% for first 6 weeks, 50% for 12 weeks and the SAP until week 39.

So I can't add SAP onto the 50% pay   I'll have to change the budget planner then.

thanks for your help.


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## Mummy DIY Diva (Feb 18, 2012)

Do remember to look into any benefits you'll get like child benefit or working tax credit. Me and Dh are trying to understand it all to figure stuff out x


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## Arrows (Nov 9, 2008)

If it helps I can give you an idea of how much it costs to have a 1 yr old in terms of budget?


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## Daddyboo (Paul) (Dec 24, 2012)

Arrows said:


> If it helps I can give you an idea of how much it costs to have a 1 yr old in terms of budget?


That would be smashing!
We're are hoping for a 2yr old as my disability means I can't do repetitive bending / picking up, like you would for a baby, but they'll probably be similar costs.

Here's my list:

Nappies / extras
Pocket money
Clothes
Toys
Present (your child and friends of child)

All are for monthly spends.

Thanks for all your help


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## Daddyboo (Paul) (Dec 24, 2012)

gwyneth27 said:


> Do remember to look into any benefits you'll get like child benefit or working tax credit. Me and Dh are trying to understand it all to figure stuff out x


I work with numbers all day, and still find it difficult! I was thinking last night it would be useful to have a simple calculator which would show what you'd get weekly/monthly.
I use the http://www.entitledto.co.uk/ but it's rather complicated.

I'll try and come up with a simple spreadsheet that will do it for people at a later date.

/links


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

Finding this really interesting and equally agree that the number crunching is so confusing!!  We have tried to see if we are entitled to anything and if so what but without a child's details and not knowing when leave will start its tricky. Also struggling as not 100% what my working week will be and what childcare we will be using. We have a loose plan but a lot is dependant on the child we are placed with. They wanted to know how much a week we will spend on nappies and wipes, DF ended up on asda online checking prices!!


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## Mummy DIY Diva (Feb 18, 2012)

I feel loads better I thought the whole working tax credit thing was me being really daft so glad everyone struggles to get it. Paul if you ever have enough time to make that spreadsheet you should patent it and charge people. Then you'd be mega rich and wouldn't need to worry   x x


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## Arrows (Nov 9, 2008)

Okay so the things you need to think about are these:

chest of drawers, wardrobe, cot-bed (0-6yrs is a good investment), high chair, car seat, pushchair, safety gates, toy storage, changing mat, cutlery, plastic bowls, plates, beakers/bottles etc
clothes, bedding, shoes, coats - 
You can get most of these free from friends/ freecycle or cheap on preloved/ gumtree/ ebay.
Cotbed -£20 ebay, mattress £40 Toyrus, gates + carseat (maxicosi Axis) under £250 grant from LA for safety equipment, pushchair -babyjogger City Mini (£200 but a brilliant buy unless you intend to get a 2nd child -may be worth looking at a pushchair that can convert into a double tandem)

Okay, monthly stuff:

Nappies £20-30 for a big box (136 size 4+ as example), wipes (1pk a week so buy 6pk £4.50 asda)
At 2yrs you shouldn't need formula or jars of baby food buy I usually buy a stock costing abt £20 for just in case

Pocket money -you don't need to give pocket money to a 2yr old!!! I put down on the application that we would offer a chore based pocket money once old enough -you know -tidy room, clear table, etc

Clothes -we've been given lots from friends, in fact more than needed! You just have to work out your style but also remember they'll come with clothes. Lots of family sent gift when we adopted and again on birthday and again for Christmas so really you'll be more likely to need to restrain yourselves from buying unnecessary clothing! Shoes are really expensive -almost £30 a pair from clarks, however I've had LO measured at clarks then bought off ebay for less than a fiver.

Toys -you will never need to buy them again if your family and friends are anything like mine!! I have to ask them to stop buying presents as our LO has way, way too many! I have rotated toys from upstairs to downstairs twice now and all LO wants to play with are balls -ball pit, ball run and shape-sorters. Mega blocks are a good investment.

Present (your child and friends of child) -we looked into a ride-on train which cost £30 but actually given he was teething we spent £3.99 on some plastic chewable and he loved them. He was given so many things by others it really wasn't an issue. We haven't been invited yet to any birthday parties as LO is only just about to start nursery -I intend to only spend £3-5 a time though.
A weekly shop costs £40-65 for us -that's me, DH and LO. We also put aside £30-50 a month into LO's saving account and will pay for expensive things from there.


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## Mummy DIY Diva (Feb 18, 2012)

Thank you arrows that's an amazing list and specific prices are really helpful. Will use it for reference x x


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## Daddyboo (Paul) (Dec 24, 2012)

Brilliant, thanks for all the costings, you've saved me from a headache.

I love eBay, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem finding stuff off there.

Unfortunately we don't have many friends (up North anyway) with children, so we'll be getting most things new - an extra cost!


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## Daddyboo (Paul) (Dec 24, 2012)

Arrows said:


> under £250 grant from LA for safety equipment


Have you got any more info / links to info about this? I haven't heard of it before and I'm struggling to google the right thing.


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## VEC (May 29, 2007)

Pauliboo, the NCT does great nearly new sales regularly all over the country.  Good for buying equipment as well as clothes.  Won't help your forward budgeting, but it does mean you have another outlet for buying good stuff at secondhand prices (and then selling it on again once no longer needed).  I've also bought and sold masses on netmums, including buggies, travel cots, stair gates, bath seats and high chairs.  They have a separate nearly new section on their site for each region, and you could take a look on there to get an idea of prices.

Good luck!


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## custard (Jan 20, 2006)

Pauliboo - Different LAs have different set-up grants for when they place children. Our LA gives £250 per child (you buy the stuff and then give them receipts for everything so that they can refund you), but I've come across some LAs that give up to £500 per child. It's on an authority to authority basis. If you're with a VA, then it will depend on the placing authority's policy.
Hope that helps.


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

Ours doesn't give anything


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## Arrows (Nov 9, 2008)

Pauliboo, exactly as custard said. Our LOs LA provided a grant of up to £250 to spend on safety equipment.  We used it to buy an extendedsafety gate for our kitchen ( abt £70)  and a swivelling car seat (£170). There are additional grants usually available if your child presents with additional needs I.e. a mobility issue that would require work to be carried out on your home.


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