How far does your child maintenance go?

LizzieS_2

The NRP gets no WTC. The resident does - even though may not have full access

I don't recall saying the nrp did get wtc (I wasn't even pedantic on other possibles as I focused on your intended meaning ). What I did was explain why under the current system it is impossible to split (both households have different incomes and would qualify for different amounts) and suggested the only way this could be changed was if the TC legislation was changed.

You think 6/7 is a pittance compared to 1/7? Back to school for you.

I just live in the real world. Using £35pw. Nrp pays £35pw if doesn't have child overnight. Nrp pays £30pw if does have child overnight. £5 reduction for feeding and accomodating child overnight. It cost more than £5 per night (or even £10) to maintain the rest - clothes, school trips etc.

The NRP claims nothing. The RP claims and takes everything they possibly can using the children as a weapon and the law is in their court.

Sweeping statement and not a true one at that (not saying there are none who do this, just not all).

doesn't depend on shared costs at all. if the resident parent won't send over clothes that the NRP has paid for in maintenance the NRP has to pay out again twice over.

The big word being "if" - it doesn't apply to everyone in shared care of whatever form.

Calculation is not "carp" it's based on fact.

Massive amount of children or 1 under a year or possibly highest childcare claim with disability elements etc? Thats if you meant the figures to be monthly.

What is theis saving on gas/elec when you don't habve the children? Do you sit in the dark with all the heating off?

I would expect my ex to do an equal amount of their washing, saves me gas/elec. They have a wonderful array of electrical items that simply wouldn't be operating if out half of the week, save elec. Then of course there is the question of could I have a smaller house and have them share a room.

Adding a few more bodies hardly impacts essential sevice costs other than hot water for washing - negligible. Same with food, adding an extra mouth does not double the costs.

You sound like my ex (before he was my ex) who thought a child could be entirely brought up on CB (that was the only benefit payable in those days). Well at least he saw first hand that all the other bills did go up, and wasn't as silly to think it was just inflation.

mitchaa

Lizzie, a child can be brought up on child benefit and child tax credits in their entirety no problems whatsoever. The amounts at max awards are very generous indeed especially if you are homed for free with a council tax exemption.

Do not fool yourselves with gas/electric costs, the amounts are negligible....When you stick the central heating on, it doesn't matter if there is 1 person in the house or 100 in the house, you'll burn exactly the same amount of gas. As it is for cooking, when you put your 4 sausages onto the grill for your dinner, another 3 for your child is not going to increase the amount of gas used;)
Your other points have holes in them left, right and centre...

A little generalisation perhaps but i would assume this is for the majority, not the minority....The NRP is very unlikely to be homed for free if they are in work and not responsible for a child, this is a cost that the PWC does not need to find if they are on IS as they will receive a roof over their head for free and an exemption from council tax, that the NRP will have to fork out for themselves.

This could lead to real poverty for the NRP, as not only do they have to support themselves (probable rental in the private sector - What council/HA are going to give a home to a working NRP with no qualifying children?) they also have to fork out 15/20/25% of their NET income for their child that more often than not is a lot more financially secure (through the benefits system) than they are.

Im not for 1 minute saying the NRP does not have a responsibility, of course they do, but this blanket 15/20/25% system clearly does not work and in my opinion anyway is grossly unfair.

It should be 15/20/25% of the NRP's disposable income AFTER their own essential life costs have been made.

A close friend of mine, has 3 children (1 with an ex, 2 with current) and because he is in arrears through no fault of his own he received £660 from his £1200 net pay. Out of this £660 he has to pay the rent and all his bills, run his car to go to work and feed his 2 children. On the other hand, his ex lives for free, gets maximum benefit awards and lives comfortably on benefits.

He gets up every morning for a hard days graft, his ex gets up, takes the child to school and goes back to bed for the rest of the day. (Yes she is like that, drugs, parties etc)

The world we live in is crazy and this system is extremely unfair.

kelloggs36

I love the comment about the food not doubling for feeding another mouth - so you just cut the amount you give the other people then do you? Personally my food bill is much higher when my DD is here. I buy more food to accommodate her needs and that costs more money than normal. Her use of the TV, bedroom light, phone charger, laptop charger etc do not come for free and are not negligible - they all add up.

Blob

These bills should be split on a 50/50 basis as you are both responsible for the child, not just the one parent. You both decided to have the child!

mitchaa

kelloggs36 wrote: »

I love the comment about the food not doubling for feeding another mouth - so you just cut the amount you give the other people then do you? Personally my food bill is much higher when my DD is here. I buy more food to accommodate her needs and that costs more money than normal. Her use of the TV, bedroom light, phone charger, laptop charger etc do not come for free and are not negligible - they all add up.

But yet you reeceive child benefit and depending on income possible child tax credit to pay for this?

The NRP does not, so there is a case that these benefits should be considered before anything is split 50/50.

Not getting into an argument about it again Kelloggs just stating my opinion.

mitchaa

I can honestly say that to feed and put nappies on my child, it does not cost anymore than the £20pw I receive in child benefit each week.

My boy is 22mths old.

I do not consider him as part of my electricity/gas usage/mortgage, council tax and never will as i would have these costs regardless if he were here or not.

anniemf2508

I think i get a fair payment for my daughter...£37pw plus £50 arrears (stands at £8.5K). He avoided the system for 9 years so only just getting used to the payments i am getting.
Its nice that hes finally contributing and i can afford to buy school shoes etc without having to cut back on paying my bills etc.

kelloggs36

Blob wrote: »

These bills should be split on a 50/50 basis as you are both responsible for the child, not just the one parent. You both decided to have the child!

Yes, the food bills etc should be split, which is what child support is for - it goes TOWARDS these costs, and should not be totally bourne by the PWC who spends the most of the money on such things - unless they are totally unreasonable and expects an NRP to pay for things on top of the child support.

kelloggs36

mitchaa wrote: »

But yet you reeceive child benefit and depending on income possible child tax credit to pay for this?

The NRP does not, so there is a case that these benefits should be considered before anything is split 50/50.

Not getting into an argument about it again Kelloggs just stating my opinion.

But these do not negate the NRP responsibility for the costs nor should they. What this would argue would be that because you get child benefit, that the other parent should not pay anything and that is not the case.

speedster

mitchaa wrote: »

I can honestly say that to feed and put nappies on my child, it does not cost anymore than the £20pw I receive in child benefit each week.

My boy is 22mths old.

I do not consider him as part of my electricity/gas usage/mortgage, council tax and never will as i would have these costs regardless if he were here or not.

my sentiments exactly. we had 2 under 2 in nappies and one on formula milk.

those alone didn't come anywhere near the £30 a week CB we get for them.

the arguement i get from the ex is that she puts a roof over her head. admittedly, she does, but it's a council house that she only got because she has our daughter. without her, she'd have either a private rent or a lump of a mortgage like me. council rent £300pm, private rent £650-700pm, mortgage 1k.

as far as i'm concerned, she lives, at the very least, £400 per month CHEAPER because she has our daughter. throw in CB, tax credits and council tax relief and she's not the one with the brown, smelly end of the stick.

then she moans about the food, gas, water and electric. of course, i don't have these bills on top of my 1k a month mortgage do i???? cos i live in a magic house.

perhaps if she hadn't cut my overnight stays to increase her csa payments, then her bills might be a bit cheaper eh?? she'd also get a whole lot more from me if she re-entered the human race. until that day, rissoles to her.