Child maintenance and child earning

Becles

Suppose a teenager still in full time school gets a paper round and earns say £10 a week. Can the absent father deduct £10 a week from the agreed child maintenance payment to the mother?

The mother is planning on letting the child keep all of the £10 in addition to his current pocket money to spend/save on whatever he likes, so she'll get no benefit from it.

Nikkisun

I don't know if they 'can' but they'd be bloody mean if they did!

jellyhead

Hopefully not! I don't know much about maintenance, but I don't think it takes the mother's wage into account let alone the child's?

A paper round is hard work, especially in the rain or snow. Children want to rest or play with friends after school, and those who make the effort of doing a paper round should be applauded, not penalised.

GobbledyGook

I wouldn't have thought so. The father's maintenance is based on what he should pay according to his earnings.

It would be an incredibly mean and selfish father that effectively punished their child's mother (I can't imagine the mother will take the £10 off the child because his/her father is so mean) for their child having the gumption to get a paper round to earn a few bob. They should just be proud to have a child who has such an ethic for work already.

LilacPixie

No chance. CSA base maintanence on the NRP wage and how often they have overnight visitations. If the father tried it he is obviously an idiot.

gratefulforhelp_2

lilac pixie is right, and a record should be kept of any attempt by the father to do that to be shared with the child when "of age" what a prat.

Becles

Thanks all.

Father pays a bit less than CSA state he should, but does pay regular each month so mother hasn't involved CSA. Trade off between friendly contact and regular money, or hostile ex and CSA not exactly being known for their efficiency!

Child already knows as father has told him on MSN he must tell him what he earns so it can be deducted

gratefulforhelp_2

What a prat!

GobbledyGook

The mother has got to step in there. The child earning a wee bit of money is nothing to do with the father's maintenance.

I wouldn't blame the kid if he just packed in the paper round. What a great way to install a work ethic in your child!

LilacPixie

I am a grumpy cranky moo but TBH I would be telling the father CSA says you should be paying X you only pay Y. OUR darling son has a paper round so he can buy hiself the stuff I cannot give him because you under pay consistantly. Continue paying X and all is well don't and its CSA for us.

Plus as we know CSA are not exactly reliable and they could decide he has ££££ or arears.