Child Maintenance (CSA) questions (merged)

pinkpig08

Is his ex partner on benefits? If she is then the CSA have to get involved in her case, but not really sure how that affects yours. I think they could work it out for you, but you could then tell them that he is paying you privately. So he could pay you his original amount but tell CSA he is paying their calculated amount.

Beverley

pinkpig08 wrote: »

Is his ex partner on benefits? If she is then the CSA have to get involved in her case, but not really sure how that affects yours. I think they could work it out for you, but you could then tell them that he is paying you privately. So he could pay you his original amount but tell CSA he is paying their calculated amount.

That's exactly what I was about to say. Tell them he'll pay you privately and then just take wht you want and tell them he's paying whatever they say he should.

If they insist the money is paid via them (and if his other ex pushes, they might insist on doing it for you as well) then take the money and give it back to him.

kelloggs36

Well try looking at it from the point of view of the other PWC - who may be on benefits and therfore has no choice about whether she claims, or she may be a private client and therefore need the money. Also, as you were told, if you don't go through the CSA then they cannot take what he pays you into consideration when calculating the other person's maintenance and so may find that he now cannot afford to pay you anything at all. If both cases are with the CSA it means that the of his income is split between you and the other PWC but is fair to him.

I don't know how much he gives you nor do I know how much he earns, but if he earned, say £250 per week and he paid you £50 then that would mean that the £50 per week is still being counted as income and he would be asked to pay the PWC 15% of the £250 which is about £40 per week for the one child. He would then pay you £50 per week, making £90 per week in maintenance payments. If you both go through the CSA then his total payments would be split: you would get £41 and she would get £21 per week but the total coming from him would be only £62 and not £90

IndiaRose

She isn't on benefits, she just couldn't come to an agreement with him over maintenance amounts. I actually believe she's in for a shock when they calculate an amount for her because it's going to be significantly less than she wants, and probably less than was offered (she seems to be under the mistaken impression that they'll work out how much he needs to live on then the rest of his salary goes to the children).

I understand where they are coming from, but the woman on the phone told me that if I say "No we'll do it privately" then as far as they are concerned when looking at his income he'll only have 1 child. They won't look at his income and split it between the 3 children.

That pretty much leaves me no choice, but to let them get involved and I don't want them involved. They've already told me and the mother of his baby his exact salary and other details - I don't want my salary or any details on there that can be passed on to her, however well-meaning the staff want to be.

I don't understand why they can't say right 15% of your income is (for example) £66 a week so that's £22 per child; then they can take the £22 per week for the baby and we can privately deal with the £44 per week for my 2. Can't that be done?

Now for another question that's come up from a nasty phone call today. Will the amounts for each child be solely dependant on his salary? I was rudely informed today that I "better" be honest about my salary (like I wouldn't be) because due to me earning more than her then she should be getting more for her child than I will per child - is this correct?

I don't have a clue how this all works. We've always done it ourselves. Will this also knacker up weeks when we'd vary the amounts (i.e if he had the kids for a whole weekend F-M I would only take half a weeks maintenance that week)? Will I have to take full amounts of can we still work it between ourselves?

Thanks for all the help.

mute_posting

Sound like you are probably better of letting them do the assessment (YUK YUK YUK - never thought I'd advise anyone to get involved with them) but then (both you and the NRP) informing them by joint letter that you will be paying direct - i.e. just using the "assessment" service.

AFAIK the only time you "have" to pay through the CSA is when benefits are involved because you are in effect repaying the government.

MP

IndiaRose

I'll have to phone them again then because the woman on the phone didn't give that as an option.

According to her it was either be paid by them and do everything through them or nothing at all because they wouldn't count my children if the monies weren't being paid through them.

Thanks for all the help.

kelloggs36

Your money doesn't come into it at all so I don't know what she's on about - it is only his money. If you refuse, then they will take 15% of all of his income and it will go to the other PWC. If you do go through the CSA it will be 25% of his net income, 2/3 of which will go to you and 1/3 to her.

IvanOpinion

My goodness does this government department still exist .. the most incompetent, lazy, wasteful and irrelevant of them all. I thought they were doing away with it since it was basically useless.

ivan

IndiaRose

kelloggs36 wrote: »

Your money doesn't come into it at all so I don't know what she's on about - it is only his money. If you refuse, then they will take 15% of all of his income and it will go to the other PWC. If you do go through the CSA it will be 25% of his net income, 2/3 of which will go to you and 1/3 to her.

Ok so I don't have much choice to let them do an assessment or whatever they call it.

Can you advise if I should be able to say we'll deal with the handing over of the cash privately?

Given that today I got a letter meant for the other ex and she one for me I don't want to give this useless bunch (not all CSA employees - just the 1 I seem to have been lumbered with) any information like my bank details or anything.

Although I can see the other ex dropping it very quickly - she was under the impression the CSA would take 45% of his salary not 15 or 25% - which is actually quite amusing. Hopefully she'll learn greed will get her nowhere.

pinkpig08

As long as you're not on benefits then you can tell the CSA that he's paying you privately.