Should she drop an hour?

nickdj

Will try to be quick.

My wife came off maternity to find he job was not available. She since decided that she would work 16 hours a week from 10pm to 2am. Not the best hours but we are trying to get some money in.

I am now on a minimal amount of money (£12k pa) and we are getting some additional help with benefits/tax credits.

I have just had my ex-partner from 13 years ago threaten to demand child maintainance after many years of having an agreement not to pay. I cannot afford to pay anything even if I wanted to.

The BIG question is that, according to the CSA, I don't have to pay IF myself or my partner get income support. If she drops an hour she would get income support (I assume) and therefore she would get other benefits and we would be better off.

Can someone confirm that it's best for her to work 15 hours or not at all?

All help is appreciated.

AnxiousMum

On what grounds would she be eligible for income support? As far as I know, it's not a benefit available to people who are part of a couple where the other works.

Indie_Kid

She won't get IS - your income is too high.

laurel7172

She won't get income support on 15 hours a week.

Nor will she get it if you're on £12k pa.

And if you both quit your jobs, you won't get income support either.

Sorry, but that's a non-starter.

Valli

not having had THAT many dealings with the CSA have you written confirmation that if you're on IS you pay nothing?

When my exH was unemployed he still had to pay me £5 a week (for two kids)

Try 'entitled to' - google it and input your various options
then check CSA rules for each option (ie if you have to pay)

How old is the child/are the children you're now being asked to pay for? How come she never wanted money before? What (if any) FORMAL arrangements were in place?

Indie_Kid

Valli wrote: »

not having had THAT many dealings with the CSA have you written confirmation that if you're on IS you pay nothing?

On the CSA website, it says he'd have to pay £5 per week.

CCFC_80

Just a small point but probably now irrelevent - when reducing your hours from below 16 per week to qualify for benefits it doesn't have to be 15 hours. It could be 15 hours and 59 minutes as long as you are under 16 hours.

welshmoneylover

nickdj wrote: »

Will try to be quick.

My wife came off maternity to find he job was not available. She since decided that she would work 16 hours a week from 10pm to 2am. Not the best hours but we are trying to get some money in.

I am now on a minimal amount of money (£12k pa) and we are getting some additional help with benefits/tax credits.

I have just had my ex-partner from 13 years ago threaten to demand child maintainance after many years of having an agreement not to pay. I cannot afford to pay anything even if I wanted to.

The BIG question is that, according to the CSA, I don't have to pay IF myself or my partner get income support. If she drops an hour she would get income support (I assume) and therefore she would get other benefits and we would be better off.

Can someone confirm that it's best for her to work 15 hours or not at all?

All help is appreciated.

Why have you decided to have another child when you are not unable to pay for the first child?

nickdj

welshmoneylover wrote: »

Why have you decided to have another child when you are not unable to pay for the first child?

Quite simply because at the time we both worked and I had a job that got us by. Like any other couple who get married and plan to spend the rest of their lives together we wanted children especially since I was denied any chance of being a father to my first child.

Being denied access to your first child and then being treated like a soft target does that. I wanted to be a dad but unfortunately my ex was unreasonable to the extreme. It took 7 years of calling and trying to be amicable before I had to take legal action and by then it was too late. I'm trying to be the best dad I can now that she needs it.

The CSA calculator states:


The non-resident parent pays a flat rate for child maintenance if:

• their net weekly income is between £5 and £100, or
• they or their partner who they live with gets Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income based

(I must have ticked the wrong box)

If my wife works 16 hours then she can't get income support and this means I guess I'm paying £22 per week. Surely not being paid £6 for the one less hour is better than paying £17 more?

Looking more carefully I may be able to get away with the flat fee given the extreme circumstances. She wants me to do more with my daughter but paying more out is going to prevent me being able to see her. Maybe it's time to ask for my daughter to live with us and then get benefits...we'd be better off.

nannytone_2

just hope the first child doesnt feel the need to eat!

if you put as much effort into earning more money as you do trying to avoid paying................

nickdj

nannytone wrote: »

if you put as much effort into earning more money as you do trying to avoid paying................

I do. I work 12 hours a day and I had 3 interviews last week alone. An unfortunate circumstance put us here but I'm not unemployed, don't go out, don't drink, don't smoke, and cut costs as much as possible.

If the question was about providing for my daughter and family then I do that well given the circumstances. However, if I am forced to make an additional payment then I would be substituing being a father for my daughter with a small amount of money being paid to a third party.

Lets be realistic. The reason for this payment is to help my ex support my daughter. But it's the very action will then mean 'I' am not able to support her if I cannot afford to pick her up or feed her if she stays.

I'm pretty sure my daughter would rather be able to see me and get the support than see her mum get £5 extra to spend on whatever.