CSA1 Reassesment Q's/Mum Moving Away

mamamoo_3

Mr Mamamoo here,

I am assesed under CSA1. Ex is now moving away with daughter and CSA are re-assessing as I will no longer have her stay over. We are both re-married and have children with our new partners. I have a few questions as I have not looked at the CSA rules for a long time:-

1. There is a big discrepancy between what the CSA1 assesment is likely to be (app £500pm) against what a CSA2 assesment would be (app £275pm). This is a big disparity so is it possible to get the CSA to assess on CSA2 rather than CSA1?

2. My mortgage payments have gone up since my last assesment as I have been paying off more capital due to underperforming endownments. What are the rules relating to this? Do ALL of the related mortgage payments (interest/capital repayments and endownments) get taken into account as I have another child or is the allowance based on interest only? Is it worth informing the CSA of this?

3. My Ex is currently on maternity leave which will end shortly and she is not returning to work and therefore likely to be claiming benefits. As the re-assesment amount is significant will she actually get the paid amount or will it go to the government coffers? If she does get the payment will it then affect any benefits she can claim? If it has an effect would it be better to move to a private arrangement?

Thanks

kelloggs36

1. No you cant move to CS2 - only the PWC can request this, unless you have another claim against you then it would switch, but it would be phased so you wouldn't be any better off for a long time.

2. The CSA will allow full housing costs if you have a child in the household BUT only the amount which is required under your mortgage contract ie no overpayments will be allowed. In the exempt income all interest payments and endowment payments would be allowed - if you wanted extra payments to be taken into account you would need to ensure that the mortgage was part repayment and part endowment.

3. Does your ex not have a partner? How do you know what benefits she would be able to claim benefits? the only benefit it would impact on would be income support and if she had a partner who worked she wouldn't qualify for it, and so would be entitled to keep all of the maintenance money you pay.

If she gets income support then she can keep £20 per week the rest will be deducted from her benefit - although she would get all maintenance and have to notify income support to adjust her benefits. The amount she can keep is set to raise to £40 some time in the future, so it may not be something that she would wish to consider.

mamamoo_3

Thanks Kellogs.

mamamoo_3

One more question, as I will now have to travel a significant distance for contact with my daughter, which will require an overnight stay in a hotel or B&B is it possible to get a CSA reduction to allow for this?

Sensemaya

mamamoo wrote: »

One more question, as I will now have to travel a significant distance for contact with my daughter, which will require an overnight stay in a hotel or B&B is it possible to get a CSA reduction to allow for this?

You will be able to claim a percentage for travel costs, but not for staying in a BB/Hotel overnight.