Changes to CSA - Benifit exemption

Maclain

Hey everyone,

I'm a non resident parent but have my daughter almost every weekend and holidays.

I currently have a private agreement where I pay £20.00 a week to my ex, but pay for everything that my daughter needs, aside from the weekly food bill. So clothes, trips, her spending allowance, nice things and such.

We have been seperated for 9 years. My daughter is 10.

I live with my partner and our 2 children. I work full time and take home around £340 per week. My partner works 2 days a week and brings home around £100.00

So, background out the way, the recent change in CSA not affecting benifits has prompted my ex to increase the amount she wants, from 20.00 per week to £70.00 per week. They have said they no longer expect me to purchase everything and would go 50/50 on larger trips and the like.

They came with this figure after the CSA assessed me about 4 months ago, they asked for my wage details from work, at the time I was working 7 days a week and 11 hours a day and was earning in excess of £600.00 per week. I didn't get chance to tel them about my current dependants, nor my rent amount, coucil tax or any other expenditure. So they calculated my payments at £140 per week. so my ex has now decided half that amount would be enough for her.

I've done a calcualtion under CSA2 and I would pay about £47 a week.

We had a discussion on friday about the changes which is when they put this new figure to me. They currently receive £141 a week in disability benifits. Not that either of them need it. (My ex's husband is one of my old friends, he has been fiddling the disability for about 15 years). The meeting was interesting, I was offered a cup of tea which I refused, as they poured another vodka and coke at 3pm in the aftenoon. Around 5 minutes into the discussions he rolled a joint which they smoked between them. Nice.

My obvious concerns, the CSA made changes to the system to better benifit the children involved. I do not have £50 - £70 a week to give to my ex so they can continue to sit at home all day drinking vodka and smoking cannabis. Increasing the payments to them would be taking money away from the children involved.

When the original private agreement was put in place my ex instructed the CSA to disregard the case, so the arrears were removed.

Obviously I need to come to an agreement with my ex. I would like to know what the CSA would advise is a good amount considering the current circumstances.

Abviously, my daughter benifits the most from the current arangement, simply because we do actually spend money on her and the things she needs.

Sorry for waffling, any clues on my options?

missmontana

Is there a case open with the CSA at the moment?

Have you put your figures in the calculator as it is now? (is that the £47pw?)

It would be 15% of your net income per week. Although as you have dependants it might work out as less....

They won't take your partners income into consideration.

How about you make an offer somewhere in-between the 2 amounts suggested? And still go halves on school trips etc.

Maclain

I dont think there is a case open anymore with the CSA, Although I received a statement the other week with a whole load of stuff I dont understand.. but basically after all the alterations and the debt suspension leaving me owing in the end what the statement started with.

I put my figures in the calculator as it is now yes, based on last weeks wages (which still included more overtime than I worked this week).

I have 2 dependants, rent at £120.00 per week and so on.

An amount inbetween which two amounts? the 47 & 70? My ex has now suggested £50.00 a week which, if I worked my normal hours, we wouldn't be able to afford.

So whats a reasonable suggestion?

bonjovibel_729

hiya i am currently going through the csa to get payments from my ex partner he is on take home of 300 a week and i get about 42 a week for two children he only has them every other weekend so is under 52 nights a year...i think she is asking for a lot as i dont get any help with trips and the like and your ex is asking for more than i am getting for two children....my ex does have a stepson living with him so he gets a reduction for that so as you have 2 children you would get more of a discount than him....

kaya

drinking vodka at 3 in the afternoon? i would have them in court and get my kids back a.s.a.p, only alcoholics would do that, worrying behaviour

Maclain

Yes, I like a drink but i wouldn't be on the vodka at 3pm.

I do not want to go down the custody route. My daughter is a very switched on young girl, who loves school. So I wouldn't want to upset the applecart by using that route.

My line of thought is simply that any extra monies going to my ex would not go to my daughter. So I'd like to get an agreement in place where as little as posible hard cash goes that route.

Can the CSA advise me how much they recommend I should be paying?

Honest_broker07

try this https://secureonline.dwp.gov.uk/csa/v2/en/calculate-maintenance.asp

it'll give a rough guide as to what you should be paying

kingfisherblue

Based on the £340 take home pay each week (your partner's pay is not included for CSA2), plus the fact that you have two children at home, I make the amount payable £41 - it's rounded up to the nearest pound by the CSA. This does not include any overnight stays, so if your daughter stays 52 nights a year, it would be reduced by one seventh (104 nights, by two sevenths).

£340-£68 (20% disregard because of two children at home)
=£272
Minus 15% for your daughter = £40.80. CSA round it up to £41, assuming no overnight stays - although from what you say, I'm assuming you do have your daughter overnight.

The CSA can also take CTC into account though, so this might increase it a bit.

daska

Maclain wrote: »

Yes, I like a drink but i wouldn't be on the vodka at 3pm.

I do not want to go down the custody route. My daughter is a very switched on young girl, who loves school. So I wouldn't want to upset the applecart by using that route.

My line of thought is simply that any extra monies going to my ex would not go to my daughter. So I'd like to get an agreement in place where as little as posible hard cash goes that route.

Can the CSA advise me how much they recommend I should be paying?

Have you taken a look at your child's school attendance record recently and things like that? Only reason I raise the subject is that DSD was also a very 'switched on young girl who loved school'.

Does your daughter read a lot? Do a lot of drawing? Is that because she really loves doing these things or has she learnt to love these solitary activities because she's
a. been hiding in her room because she's scared of being around drunk people
b. not inviting friends home because she's embarrassed by the number of bottles and cans?

By the time we found out what was really happening with DSD SS were having to make sure she was washed and dressed and got to school. She loved school because it was interesting but also because there were no drunk people there and she got fed!

Kimitatsu

First thing I would do is check with the CSA that any previous case has been closed - your previous case may not have been closed but put into suspension, which means that it can be re-opened at any time, and if you are assessed under CS1 then that may not be to your advantage. Do you know when the original case was opened?

You can go through the CSA it does not have to be the PWC that opens the case, if you ring them or go to your local CAB or local authority they can also do the calculation for you.

Loopy_Girl

kaya wrote: »

drinking vodka at 3 in the afternoon? i would have them in court and get my kids back a.s.a.p, only alcoholics would do that, worrying behaviour

Exactly

"Don't want to upset the applecart"?? Clearly the OP is able to accept drinking and soft drug use at unacceptable hours as the child 'appears' happy at school?

Jesus, I bloody despair sometimes