Maintenance direct?

Loopy_Girl

Mum2four wrote: »

I went through the csa to see how much he should be paying - they done the calculation and i asked for collection because I knew he wouldn't pay the amount if I asked for it myself - but now that they have told him what he is supposed to pay he has started - I am the parent with care but i dont believe in taking all of his wages and leaving him with not very much to live on especially when im on benefits and have no need for all of what the csa say he has to pay - I buy the children what they need from what he pays and i save some of it - I dont feel right using the rest for myself as it isnt for me
Hope that makes sense

So what's changed then?

Loopy_Girl

shellsuit wrote: »

If some of you think that he won't pay the OP, it doesn't really matter, as if she didn't stop the claim with the CSA and he didn't pay them, she wouldn't get any money, through them, from him either!

Yes they can chase him for it, but that would take ages.

If the OP feels she can trust him to pay for his children, and they are both happy with the agreement, that's all that matters.

Absolutely. But quite clearly she doesn't/didn't trust him as she had to ask the CSA to collect.;)

shellsuit

Loopy_Girl wrote: »

Absolutely. But quite clearly she doesn't/didn't trust him as she had to ask the CSA to collect.;)

I did the same.

He thought he should have been paying X amount and was getting arsey over what I asked for. (I asked for £30 a week)

When he saw what he should have been paying (£76 a week), he soon shut up and paid up. (£40 a week)

Especially as the letters from the CSA explained that if he didn't pay, he could get an attatchment of earnings.

So, I was happy because I got £10 more than I had originally asked him for, and he was happy because he was paying £36 a week less than what the CSA were asking of him.

Sometimes people just need a kick up the bum to do the right thing.

Loopy_Girl

Totally agree.

Glad it worked out for you and I really hope it all goes okay for the OP

shellsuit

Loopy_Girl wrote: »

Totally agree.

Glad it worked out for you and I really hope it all goes okay for the OP

Thank you, and ditto!

alwayspuzzled

Mum2four wrote: »

I went through the csa to see how much he should be paying - they done the calculation and i asked for collection because i knew he wouldnt pay the amount if i had asked for it myself - but now that they have told him what he is supposed to pay he has started - I am the parent with care but i dont believe in taking all of his wages and leaving him with not very much to live on especially when im on benefits and have no need for all of what the csa say he has to pay - I buy the children what they need from what he pays and i save some of it - I dont feel right using the rest for myself as it isnt for me
Hope that makes sense

As a nrpp I feel that the 15% is a fair figure and is unlikely to leave the nrp with little to live on - could you perhaps put the savings into an account earmarked for further ed etc? That way theres no guilt as you know its there for the kids.

As a PWC I also haven't felt comfortable asking for monies for anything but direct costs and only get half of what I could (this may change as per my own thread) and I can understand why you would want to have a private agreement as CSA involvement feels so oppressive.

Mum2four_2

He always worries sticks to rules so when i was only allowed £20 thats what he paid - when i asked for £20 extra he wouldnt due to the rules - the difference now is that he knows whatever he pays is all paid to me and im "allowed" to keep it.

Thanks for the replies anyway

RedSky

Sounds like you have found the ultimate win win situation in a way that works for you. If both of you can be accommodating whenever required then I would hope it will help future relations.

If you don't need the full amount assessed then, in my opinion, there is no need to take it just because the legal systems says you are "entitled" to it. And if there are additional costs in the future then I would hope the NRP will show you the same respect and reimburse as appropriate.

N71

I've only just quickly scanned through, but didn't see that anyone had mentioned this.

You don't have to 'close' the CSA case to get maintenance direct from your NRP. The case can still run in the background, but the payments are sorted between yourselves. With this option, you are able to go back to the CSA should the arrangement fail, and you won't have to start from scratch with the CSA.

RedSky

I would understand an NRP choosing not to go with a CSA run maintenance direct should they be given the choice. There have been too many horror stories on this forum where payment discrepancies and CSA miscalculations have led to NRPs having to prove past payments etc. As always with the CSA there is no flexibility in their rulings so if any discrepancies fall outside of the rules, or the CSA selectively decide which facts they wish to ignore (as they have been given financial targets to raise money to benefit children) then the NRP can lose out and potentially end up making some payments twice.

I am of the opinion that if the CSA are involved then you are choosing to ignore flexibility. Either come to an agreement and use discretion or use the CSA and stick to the rules.