Maintenance payments.... what should they cover ?

aMeLia'S~MuMMY

Child maintenance can be payable up until the child's 19th birthday ~ however in order to continue to pay until this age the QC must be in non advanced full~time education (A'level or equivelant and the full~time bit is 16 hours a week or more ?I think?) if she were to get a full time job, leave education , claim benefits ( I/S or JSA) or go to university your husbands obligation would end earlier if any of these applied before 19.

Is your husband paying via the CSA if so he can ask them to have a look at the circumstances of the case and see if Child Benefit has ceased as this can be used as an indicator, however firstly they will contact the PWC.

Also there is a Child Support board here
:A

Tina_D

Hi,
the csa arent involved at all. My husband agreed to pay his ex a weekly payment which he has done through a bank (to prove payments). The only change happened when my step daughter was about 13 and my partners ex rang and asked that we pay the maintenance into my step daughters building society account. I think this was so it didnt show as her income?! during the same conversation she asked my hubby not to mention child maintenance payments if he was asked by dhss. My hubbys ex now lives with boyfriend and has kept on council house. im not sure if she gets any benefits but as step daughter is soon to be 17 not sure what she can get.
we are not trying to shirk our resposibilites but every penny counts.
Tina

Alan50

I would agree with the previous post

Alan

aMeLia'S~MuMMY

Do you know if child benefit is still in payment for your step daughter ? or what actual course she is on ?, it could be that she has a job and they are sending her for a 1 day training a week for which if that was the case she would be classed as employed.

Does your hubs speak to his ex? Can they agree anything ?
It appears that somehow she has managed to avoid the CSA if she is asking your hub not to mention payments to DSS and potential fraud on her part and that is why the payments were being made into your step daughters account.

As they only have a verbal agreement then there is currently no (legal) obligation if your step daughter is still education ~ no one can force any payments out of him at the moment if he stopped paying , however his ex if eligible can still go to the CSA

It appears that this is then just down to moral obligation ( conscience) on your husbands part.

:A

J0nb0y_2

Can anybody put their view accross as to what the CSA payment should cover?
Does anybody get asked for addition cash by their ex for 'things' if so what for?
Resident parent: Do you think that the CSA amount is fair and do you ask for more cash for 'things'? if so, again can you give an example?

I would like this to apply only to the absent parent that pay the CSA what they ask, and also the resident parent that recieves the payment without hiccup. I know this is not always the case but there is plenty of data on this subject!

I have done a search for this information and there is probly no right or wrong answer although it would be good to hear what people have to say. All information i have found is people saying its an unfair system or it's about extracting cash from absent parents, nothing actually detail what this money is for!

Many thanks

Jet

As a parent with care who gets no maintenance, I think the CSA payment should cover whatever the child needs. I don't understand why "extra" money should be asked for. If that money isn't enough, then cut backs have to be made. If the parents were living together, that is exactly what would happen.

JennyW_2

Jet wrote: »

As a parent with care who gets no maintenance, I think the CSA payment should cover whatever the child needs. I don't understand why "extra" money should be asked for. If that money isn't enough, then cut backs have to be made. If the parents were living together, that is exactly what would happen.

exactly. My husband pays XX amount each month for his daughter. There is no way we would pay for any extras.

Becles

My ex pays the minimum under CSA rules, but we have a voluntary arrangement. He sends it direct to my bank account by standing order when he gets paid each month.

I don't get or expect to get any extra from him.

J0nb0y_2

Thanks for the response guys, it's interesting to hear from all sides of the coin, sorry to hear you get no maintenance Jet, it must be hard.
My point is i pay £300 to my ex for 2 children, this money get swallowed up into some pit that cannot be explained. I know it's not a lot of money but it is actually more that I would pay under a CSA agreement and more spare cash than we had when we where together after mortgage etc. In addition to this she will ask me for money for clothes and food shopping because she has no money left. I cannot refuse as my children WILL go without.
I help out when she needs children looking after because of hospital apointments etc, I live 100 miles away and this can cost £100+ to take a day off and petrol etc. I have refused in the past and she seems to think it is unreasonable and will play the 'restrict access card' for a while although not completely, i'd still probly get more than most absent parents.
This is only an overview of the situation, i feel like i am being taken for a ride a little bit.
Also she will not let me take kids to see any girlfriend until I have been with them 6 months, which has its problems and is something she has just made up to suit her (have been seeing some1 for 2-3 months now). I think it is wholy unfair.

Please can you comment as I don't know what is right, if there is a right answer!

Scarlett1

J0nb0y wrote: »

Thanks for the response guys, it's interesting to hear from all sides of the coin, sorry to hear you get no maintenance Jet, it must be hard.
My point is i pay £300 to my ex for 2 children, this money get swallowed up into some pit that cannot be explained. I know it's not a lot of money but it is actually more that I would pay under a CSA agreement and more spare cash than we had when we where together after mortgage etc. In addition to this she will ask me for money for clothes and food shopping because she has no money left. I cannot refuse as my children WILL go without.
I help out when she needs children looking after because of hospital apointments etc, I live 100 miles away and this can cost £100+ to take a day off and petrol etc. I have refused in the past and she seems to think it is unreasonable and will play the 'restrict access card' for a while although not completely, i'd still probly get more than most absent parents.
This is only an overview of the situation, i feel like i am being taken for a ride a little bit.
Also she will not let me take kids to see any girlfriend until I have been with them 6 months, which has its problems and is something she has just made up to suit her (have been seeing some1 for 2-3 months now). I think it is wholy unfair.

Please can you comment as I don't know what is right, if there is a right answer!

sorry hun but she is treating you like a mug if you went through the csa route you would probably pay less, the maintenace that you pay is for things like food, clothing, shoes, and possibly little extras like treats and after school clubs, dont think for one moment that you children will go without if you dont give any extra, she is pulling a fast one