Changes to DH's CSA when my circumstances change?

FairyElephant_2

I am going to be made redundant at the end of this month Sept). I will be paid my notice (1 month) to the end of Oct, but not be required to work this. I will receive 3 weeks' (WOW!) pay in redunancy settlement.
As far as I have been able to find out, I can claim Contribution Based JSA for up to 6 months, after the end of October. It is highly unlikely I will be able to get another job at the moment, as I am pregnant!

When we moved in together, the CSA required me to provide details of my salary in order to recalculate my DH's (then my DP!) CSA payments to his ex for his 3 children.

My first question is this - obviously we will have to inform CSA of our change of circumstances, but does this mean that they will recalc his payments again, taking into account that I can no-longer contribute any where near what I used to to the household? If so, will it be a full re-assessment, ie. he'll have to provide payslips & all the paperwork over again, or will they just use the previous info and change my part of it?

Secondly, looking to the future, can I assume that when our baby is born in March 2010 there will be a recalculation? His eldest son will be 19 in Feb 2010, but he is still taking an A-level course which will not finish until June/July 2010, so we assume we will have to continue paying for him until then?

DH has tried to ask the CSA these questions, but all they will tell him is 'contact us at the time and we will deal with it then' - not very helpful when you are trying to make plans to cope financially!!!!!!

BTW - he is on CSA1.

Thanks for all/any help advice - just trying to get a handle on our budgets going forward!

FE

kelloggs36

If son is 19 in Feb, then CSA will stop then as this is the absolute cut off point.

You will need to request a change of circumstances review but without seeing the figures I can't say whether it will change your assessment or not - it depends on how much hubby earns whether it will impact on the assessment. Was there a departure in places for housing costs to be allocated to you? Also, baby will be put into the formula and this should reduce the notional amount, but it may not have an impact on the amount payable as it depends on whether hubby is paying the full amount or a discounted amount due to household income being insufficient to pay the full amount.

Blonde_Bint

kelloggs36 wrote: »

If son is 19 in Feb, then CSA will stop then as this is the absolute cut off point.

You will need to request a change of circumstances review but without seeing the figures I can't say whether it will change your assessment or not - it depends on how much hubby earns whether it will impact on the assessment. Was there a departure in places for housing costs to be allocated to you? Also, baby will be put into the formula and this should reduce the notional amount, but it may not have an impact on the amount payable as it depends on whether hubby is paying the full amount or a discounted amount due to household income being insufficient to pay the full amount.

can I just ask, 19 in Feb does this not mean though that csa is payable until september of the same year incase he goes back into education?

I'm a bit confused between the 19 and 20 issue. It's still 19 is it when csa is ended? because I thought it had gone up to 20 or is going up, only a year in it I know but just for clarification. thank you. and apologies op.

Donedoingdebt

CSA liability definitely ends on the child's 19 birthday (February, in the above example) & very definitely does NOT continue on until the following September.
As kelloggs stated, 19 is the absolute cut off point under present CS2 & old CS1 rules. Liability until the following September due to further education only continues if the child is UNDER 19.

Confusion often arises when people state that child support liability via the CSA continues as long as child benefit is still being paid to the PWC. This is usually correct, but ONLY up until the child's 19th birthday, even though child benefit continues on until aged 20.

It has been suggested that child support liability via the new CMEC will eventually rise to the child's 20th birthday to come into line with child benefit payments. I'm not sure when, or even if, that is actually going to happen. Someone with more inside knowledge will have to advise you on that one.

FairyElephant_2

Thanks everyone.

Blonde Bint - I thought the same as you from looking at the CSA website, that DH wuld still be paying for son#1 until he finished he A-Levels, so am very interested in Kelloggs' & Donedoingdebts' information that this is not the case.

Donedoingdebt - sorry, you mention CS2 - do you know if this is definitely the case for CS1 as well? Thanks.

Kelloggs - thanks. I recall that his ex-W did apply for a departure a few years back after we moved in together, to have my income taken into account, and that is when I had to supply my financial details , so I guess that is probably what happened (at the time the whole thing turned farcical and DH had 4 letters within a week, all stating that he had to pay different amounts!!!).
DH also thinks that he is not paying the full amount which they say is required for all 3, as our income is not high enough, but I can't find anything in his paperwork to show this (mind you, his paperwork is not as organised as it could be!!! - guess I will have to sort that out when I have time at home after I finish work....).

Donedoingdebt

FairyElephant wrote: »

Donedoingdebt - sorry, you mention CS2 - do you know if this is definitely the case for CS1 as well? Thanks.
QUOTE]

Sorry for any confusion, I've amended my post.

Yes, this is definitely the case for CS1 rules as well. My Son (on CS1) turned 19 in May 2008 while still in further education & my liability via the CSA stopped there & then. Mind you, I'm sure he's costing me more these days!!!!!!

As for your last points to kelloggs, the CSA would have automatically asked for your financial details when carrying out an assessment on CS1 to check whether there was enough total household income left after your partner's assessment. This does not necessarily mean that a departure for housing costs was put in place. The PWC would have had to have applied for this separately & he would have been notified.

And finally, it is quite normal on CS1 for the NRP not to have to pay the full assessment. Although it states a maintenance required figure of say £100 a week, the actual amount payable is based solely on the NRP's income & outgoing housing costs (Bearing in mind there MAY be a departure in place for housing costs) & therefore, if the assessment only amounts to £50 per week, then that is what is payable & no arrears will be building up.

FairyElephant_2

Thanks again DDD - it's such a minefield and my pregnant brain is having trouble getting to grips with it all (and I worry more about stuff at the moment!).

I agree - they cost much more as they get older - now it is basically 5 adults to feed, well actually they eat more than we do! (SK's are 18, almost 17 & almost 15) and if we go anywhere we are charged as 4 adults, and 'almost 15YO' is so big now that we are always ??? about his age!