Does this mean I've been paying too much Maintenance??

Jummy

Hi
My partner does not receive any WTC.
I receive CTC and Carers allowance.

DazzerG

Thought this might help.

http://www.csa.gov.uk/new/calculate/#S02

Lady_S

we are paying through new system, and none of my information was even taken.

I think that the difference is WTC ispaid to the couple, therefore is deemed an income for the NRP

StockportGerbil

Hi!
I pay for my son under the new system which is 15% of net income. I have him one night a week (plus the odd weekend) so pay 6/7ths of 15%. My fiance and her daughter moved in and a small percentage of the 15% was then earmarked for her. So my contributions dropped. Also I had been overpaying since the CSA were initially involved and those overpayments have been taken into account.

A couple of words of warning here. The CSA are incompetent and getting them to do anything is a complete nightmare and it will have to be redone a few times until it's right. The CSA are responsive to complaints from your MP, so when they start messing you around try getting him / her involved.

When the CSA do the reassessment the way they present the figures to the parent with care suggests the 15% is to be spent on the child you now have living with you and reduced figure should go to the child / children you don't have. Some people at the CSA don't understand their own system and will confirm to the parent with care that this is correct. The resulting rows are not pleasant....

Good luck!

Kevin

Stevev99

Thanks for the replies all...

Just to add that I'm only using the CSA's new calculator for reference since the £400 I am currently paying is just a figure my Ex and myself came up with based on the old 20% of Net workings.

We have never involved the CSA neither did we have these payments included in the divorce as official child maintenance.

I just stumbled across the new CSA calculator one day and was shocked to see that it appears to say I'm paying massively over the top now.

Looking at them I think I'm entitled to drop the payments a little towards the £286 they seem to come up with especially since there's nothing legally in place saying that i have to make any payments!

Some of you will know what it's like, I pay the £400, I pay another £25 for pocket money and yet she still comes knocking on my door anytime they need school uniforms, new football boots etc.... I've had enough basically.

EMPTY_PURSE_5

Have given up totally with the CSA now.

Originally had filed with CSA when DD was 3yrs old (will be 16 in November !!) and have received total of approx £ 1,100 which was 2 payments back when she was approx 7/8. He (biting tongue not to call him worse) changed his job and became a taxi driver which the CSA stated they could not calculate how much he would owe until end of financial year, as he would declare income then, as he was ignoring all letters and home visits by them. He has three children living at his home, 1 being his child, so if I was due any maintenance I assume it would be a pittance.

Can anyone advise me if they have taken the legal route with maintenance and sued their ex's !!!!!! off !!! ( Getting rather irate now, deep breath) And how much roughly would this cost. I know there is still no guarantee that I would receive any backdate from him, but is now the principle.

helen21_2

You can claim compensation off the csa for gross negligence

sunflower_2

hi Stevev99

sorry but i dont think you have been overpaying at all - after all they are your children

if i were an absent parent i wouldnt be paying what the CSA told me i had to pay - more often than not its nowhere near enough to support a child/children

but if your ex seems to have lots of spare income, why dont u have a word and tell her you are stuggling with the £400 and could you come to some sort of arrangement to reduce it?

in my opinion the CSA arent worth getting involved with, they caused me a year of heartache and stress
i think they should only be used as a last resort when the absent parent refuses to pay

you are one of the "good guys" and duly pay to support your kids -
it wont be long before they wont be needing your support?!?!
at least you can sleep at night knowing you are doing/have done the right thing by them
personally i dont think its worth rocking the boat...

good luck with whatever you decide

:A

calleyw

You seem to be more than generous with your payments. As £400 sounds like a lot after all there are two people who are suppose to be contributing towards the financial side of bringing up your children. You and your ex so it should be half each.

Maybe approach your ex explain that it is not that you don't want your children to have the best. But with a new child in the house you are starting to struggle. And could you drop it say £300 as that is still above what the CSA would be taking. And thus is saving your £100 a month. Not a lot but better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. And show her what she would get via the CSA.

Personally using the CSA should be a very last result. The people who work for them are not the issue it is the whole system. And how it takes 6 months to an intial assesment I never know. During that time if you are not paying you run up a nice bit of back pay.

With out wanting to be sexist (and yes I am woman) there are lot of ex's out there who want to take everything from there ex's and bleed them dry. Yes, I agree there are children to support. But a man can hardly to the best for his children if does not have enough money left over to be able to feed and clothe himself properly. As well as being able to rent/buy a place big enough to be able to have his children to stay. He then will be accused of not loving his children enough.

Men are in a very tough position damned if they do and damned if they don't, even though the reason they are no longer with their ex and their children could be through no fault of there own. Their ex playing about behind their backs etc. Something a woman is not expected to put up with so why should a man. Oops gone a bit off topic there.

I wish you all the best. I do know it is hard when you have to economise because of the money you are paying out but your ex can afford to do this and do that. And of course you are not allow to comment on that. But they can comment on what you spend your money on though.

At least you can hold your head high and know you can say you have paid for your children.

All the best and hope you get something worked out really soon.


Yours


Calley

scatz

helen21 wrote:

I thought the working part of the tax credits would be classed as his income, but not the child part of the tax credits

I worked (note 'worked') for the CSA and if I remember correctly any WTC the Non-Resident Parent receives is always taken into account. The CTC is taken into account if the Non-Resident Parent is the 'highest' earner in his household, i.e: if a new partner received more income then the CTC portion would not be included in the income.

Does that make sense????