Confused please help

savvysass

Hi guys

My partner got custody of his 2 children 6 years ago and have lived with us since then. In all that time their mother has never contributed to their upbringing financially and to be honest because most of the time she was unemployed and has another 2 children from a previous relationship who also live with their father we never persued it.

Late last year my partners daughter went to live with her mother full time as did her half brother. Mum is working and claims tax credits etc for the kids.

She has informed us today that she may be finishing work and going onto IS as her hours are now erratic and she cant manage so thinks she will be better off on benefits and she is off to see an advisor.

Perhaps I am jumping ahead of myself but I feel a CSA claim heading our way, my partners son still lives with us and even since she has been working for nearly a year now she has never contributed to his or his sisters upbringing when she lived with us.

Can someone give me some advice as to where we stand if she does go onto IS as I do understand that the rules have changed, if she did put a claim for maintenance could we counter claim for her son? and does she have to go through the CSA now or could we try and reach a private agreement?

It really will stick in my throat if we have to begin paying her money when my partner and I fully support her son with nothing from her, she is an obnoxious woman who is just seeing pounds and pence.

I do understand that my partner has a responsibility to both his children and have no argument with that, we buy his daughter clothes etc as she turns up looking a rag bag, we have booked a holiday for later in the year and his daughter is coming with us, there was never a question of us not taking her, she is included in everything we do as a family wherever possible.

Many thanks

tamsin1982

if she goes onto is she doesnt have to use the csa, that is completely her choice.
if she does you are fully entitled to counter claim but if she is on benefits with children in her household it wouldnt be worth you claiming!

how old is the youngest child she has living with her? once your youngest is 12 you have to come off is and claim job seekers, and actively seek work.

try not to worry

savvysass

she is only 10, we just know what she is like and she looks at my partner as a potential cash cow for her benefit now. The thing is when you take into account all her benefits and income she prob has the same income as us every week its just we appear to manage our money slightly better than she does, we have no debt so can save up and have a holiday once per year etc.

tamsin1982

its highly unlikely that being on benefits will make her better off and with her daughter being 10 she will probably be advised to search for a better suited job.
when the daughter went back to live with her did the child benefit get put back into her name and not your partners?

savvysass

yes we did everything correctly or thought we had by informing tax credits and child benefit so she now claims them