CSA & Step Parent Salary

sudohnim

I am new to joint marital finances involving the partner's children. So far it hasn't been an issue as I don't have any problem with him paying for his children.

However H was made redundant yesterday and someone at my place of work has suggested that my salary may be taken into consideration to continue his CSA payments. I don't have any children at all so I don't know anything about this.

He will receive approx £15K of stat and contractual redundancy which will just about pay off our debts. Like I said, I know the children should be provided for - but I will be shouldering all of the monthly financial responsibility for our household until he gets another job (which as we all know are scarce). I will be lucky to have £20 left over at the end of the month.

Does anyone know whether I would be expected to pay the CSA payments for my H's children...?

AnxiousMum

Make sure that your husband puts in a change of circumstances with the CSA immediately, and asks for a reassessment. As they only calculate the new payments from when they are notified of a change - and possibly do it by telephone, followed up by a letter confirming the change and request for reassessment, sent recorded delivery. If he waits a few weeks, months etc. to do this, then he will be building up arrears.

Is your husband on CSA1 or CSA2? They may ask for your income information, but that is simply to ensure that your husband is able to show how he can afford to live - not to assess your income for CSA payments. The children after all, are not yours - and it's quite likely that if/when they visit you, they will be housed, fed and maybe an activity or two which, if their dad is not working, will likely be funded by you.

Out of courtesy, it might be worth your OH, if on speaking terms with the ex, to let her know right now about the change in circumstances coming up - so that she too can budget for the difference.

Marisco

No you won't have to pay CSA out of your wages. The first thing he needs to do though is to tell them he is no longer working, and get a reassessment done. Do it as quick as you can, otherwise arrears will build up. If he is on JSA, he'll be assessed at £5 a week. But time is of the essence, as they will think he is still working , and when he doesn't pay his maintenance, as he won't be working, they'll just put it as arrears, because they won't know he isn't working.

sudohnim

Thanks Guys

He is on CSA2 as it's post 2003, I think. I just can't find anything concrete about my earnings, so thanks. Would they not know he's not working from the DEO order stopping...?

He informed them yesterday as soon as he found out about the redundancy. He hasn't had all of the information from his employer yet about what he will receive in his package but it's pretty much a done deal. CSA didn't really seem to know what they were talking about yesterday when he asked as they told him all they would take from his last salary payment would be the normal CSA payment when he was told it's normally 10% of the contractual redundancy agreement. Will ask him to get onto them again.

sudohnim

AnxiousMum wrote: »

They may ask for your income information, but that is simply to ensure that your husband is able to show how he can afford to live - not to assess your income for CSA payments. The children after all, are not yours - and it's quite likely that if/when they visit you, they will be housed, fed and maybe an activity or two which, if their dad is not working, will likely be funded by you.

I don't mind providing them with information to prove I'll be paying everything. As you say though, when the children will be visiting, yes it will be me paying everything for them... which is no problem. But it was the other payments we were worried about.

AnxiousMum wrote: »

Out of courtesy, it might be worth your OH, if on speaking terms with the ex, to let her know right now about the change in circumstances coming up - so that she too can budget for the difference.

Yes, he has spoken to her today and let her know. She was kind about it, although she has asked him to have the children for some time during the holidays in summer - which if he's not working would be great - but again, I would have to fund that and I am not sure I have the means but I am sure we can figure that out.

FBaby

No direct response to your question OP, but I really am amazed by the response making it clear that you shouldn't expected to take over your partner's responsibility for his children, whereas when I explained my situation and stated that if I were to be made redundant, I didn't think it would be right for my partner to pick up my children's costs, I got the reply that this was sad and that the moment my partner took me in, he took my children too.

To be honest, I am halfway there with it. I don't think it should ever be the legal responsibility for either step-parents to take over parental responsibilities, however, I do think it would be the right thing for a step parent to help out in a case of emergency (redundancy) as much as possible, on either side. Yet, the government is clear that pwpp are expected to pay up whereas nrpp are not -on the basis that nrpp salaries are not taken into account, at least after reformed, yet pwc cannot claim any benefits in their own right, as partner's salary is taken into account-.

sudohnim

FBaby wrote: »

No direct response to your question OP, but I really am amazed by the response making it clear that you shouldn't expected to take over your partner's responsibility for his children, whereas when I explained my situation and stated that if I were to be made redundant, I didn't think it would be right for my partner to pick up my children's costs, I got the reply that this was sad and that the moment my partner took me in, he took my children too.

To be honest, I am halfway there with it. I don't think it should ever be the legal responsibility for either step-parents to take over parental responsibilities, however, I do think it would be the right thing for a step parent to help out in a case of emergency (redundancy) as much as possible, on either side. Yet, the government is clear that pwpp are expected to pay up whereas nrpp are not -on the basis that nrpp salaries are not taken into account, at least after reformed, yet pwc cannot claim any benefits in their own right, as partner's salary is taken into account-.

I'm not entirely sure what all the abbreviations mean in your post there, but you seem to be saying I should take up some of the paying for the children on behalf of my husband...? The problem is and the reason we're worried, is I don't get paid nearly as much as H does and I cannot pay 20% of my salary for his children, in addition to 100% of all the other household costs. The household costs alone would only leave me £20 a month without child support payments. Plus, I would be paying for all of the time they are with us when they are here too.

Marisco

FBaby wrote: »

No direct response to your question OP, but I really am amazed by the response making it clear that you shouldn't expected to take over your partner's responsibility for his children, whereas when I explained my situation and stated that if I were to be made redundant, I didn't think it would be right for my partner to pick up my children's costs, I got the reply that this was sad and that the moment my partner took me in, he took my children too.

To be honest, I am halfway there with it. I don't think it should ever be the legal responsibility for either step-parents to take over parental responsibilities, however, I do think it would be the right thing for a step parent to help out in a case of emergency (redundancy) as much as possible, on either side. Yet, the government is clear that pwpp are expected to pay up whereas nrpp are not -on the basis that nrpp salaries are not taken into account, at least after reformed, yet pwc cannot claim any benefits in their own right, as partner's salary is taken into account-.

It's a totally different scenario to the one you described. The kids do not live with the NRP and NRPP. If the kids lived with them, and he was made redundant, then yes, I would expect the NRPP to pay. But I don't think anyone one would expect a NRPP to pay 20% of her salary to the PWC!!! That is ridiculous!!

sudohnim

Marisco wrote: »

It's a totally different scenario to the one you described. The kids do not live with the NRP and NRPP. If the kids lived with them, and he was made redundant, then yes, I would expect the NRPP to pay. But I don't think anyone one would expect a NRPP to pay 20% of her salary to the PWC!!! That is ridiculous!!

Thanks, that kinda eases the mind a little... I had a minor meltdown just now because I know I can't afford it. Things will be very tight as it is and lots of things will need to change right now. His package isn't even going to cover all of our outstanding debts.

(I worked out the abbreviations).

keir1163

I am pretty sure they cannt use your wage as a means for CSA payments.....all they use your wage for is to make sure you can live, it is not taken into account otherwise.
Kellogs is the best to answer this

Marisco

On CSA 2, it's only the NRP income that is taken into account. Even if the NRPP gets 2k a week, and the NRP gets £65 JSA, they can only go on the £65.