Can someone please ex explain how this works

nickdj

Good morning,

I require your help as I cannot find the answer on any official page.

My ex who has my children during the week wants to change the arrangement because she wants to change the days she works.

The current arrangement is:
3 in 4 weekends I have both children 3 nights a week. That's 108 nights a year. As a result I'm paying £130.

She wants:
3 nights during the week and 3 nights every other. That would be 234 nights a year.

I've suggested only having the children on night at the weekend to bring the number of nights down to 182 as I believe any more than this may effect her ability to claim benefits.

She doesn't want me to tell the CSA because she knows I'd be paying less maintenance and says if I do she'll have to quit her job as she'll get less money in total. I don't want her to quit her job and trying to help.

What I need to know is:
If I pay less maintenance does her other benefits go up to compensate?

My assumption there is a set figure for how much a family gets and this is balanced between wages, maintenance, and benefits.

Can someone explain how this is calculated?

Nick

sleepless_saver

Child maintenance payments no longer have any effect on benefits.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@benefits/documents/digitalasset/dg_201996.pdf

paddedjohn

You could be giving her £1000 a week and she could still get all her benefits. IMHO child maintenance should be taken into account when working out the parents income for benefits.

zzzLazyDaisy

nickdj wrote: »

I've suggested only having the children on night at the weekend to bring the number of nights down to 182 as I believe any more than this may effect her ability to claim benefits.

This is not correct. As long as she is the parent in receipt of child benefit, she is entitled to claim whatever benefits she is currently entitled to. The fact that you have the children more nights than at present does not change this

She doesn't want me to tell the CSA because she knows I'd be paying less maintenance and says if I do she'll have to quit her job as she'll get less money in total. I don't want her to quit her job and trying to help.

You do not have to tell the CSA; parents are now allowed to come to their own voluntary arrangements for child maintenance. The only reason you would inform the CSA is if you wished to use the additional nights that the children stay with you in support of an application to have the CSA award reconsidered/reduced

You can work out how the CSA calculates maintenance here

https://www.gov.uk/calculate-child-maintenance

What I need to know is:
If I pay less maintenance does her other benefits go up to compensate?

No

My assumption there is a set figure for how much a family gets and this is balanced between wages, maintenance, and benefits.

That is not correct, maintenance is not taken into account when assessing entitlement to benefits

Can someone explain how this is calculated?

Nick

Hope this helps

Dx