Help....dont know how much is enough

fishybusiness

I pay about £100 to £120 a month for my two children, it is voluntary, made up of payments for clothes, odd bits and pieces, fuel, clubs and the like. I couldn't do that if I lived on my own and was a student.

If your ex receives CTC, he only has to work 16 hours a week to receive WTC (according to HMRC website), so his income is dependent on both working and being entitled to CTC. His whole income structure seems based on CTC entitlement.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/people-advise-others/entitlement-tables/work-and-child/work-no-childcosts.htm

Your ex partners finances seem quite complicated, £5k student income, £9K earned, £4k CTC, £7k WTC, does that sound right?

To be honest, I do not know the rules regarding working, being student and maintenance. Based directly on income and 2 nights a week stay over, £46 a week is about right.

Have you thought about having a chat to the CSA? My partner contacted them regarding her ex, and they were really good.

Sensemaya

howmuchisenough wrote: »

My ex has now said that we can get together and agree a figure that he will pay. Taking into account that he claims tax credits for the child but only has the child maybe 2 nights a week, takes the child to school a couple of days a week and picks up from school and keeps for an hour at most a couple of times a week, what do you think would be a fair figure?

Just googled and found this:

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/extra-help-for-students-with-children

I've got a feeling something is not quite right here.

But I would say £30- £40 sounds about right.

PreludeForTimeFeelers

Sensemaya wrote: »

Just googled and found this:

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/extra-help-for-students-with-children

I've got a feeling something is not quite right here.

But I would say £30- £40 sounds about right.

That's a Northern Ireland site - is it the same here?

kevin137

The whole problem with this claim your ex is making resolves around something very simple...

Does your EX have DEPENDANT children, and by the fact that YOU are claiming the CB, the answer can only be NO...

That makes his claim fraudulent, end of story...

Make it clear that you will use the CSA if he is not forthcoming about the money he is claiming and SHOUDL be paying, but also make it clear that you are aware the claim has been made and as it could potentially involve you with any investigation for benefits fraud that you are considering using the CSA to clarify the claim so there can be no mistake about who has custody and is the entitled person...

You are opening up a whole can of worms with this, and that is a problem,
for you as well... As if they do investigate, they will look at you as well, and that is not nice, on the flip side, you might get less money, which is also not nice, but benefit fraud is FRAUD, and being a party to it, means you could end up suffering as a result. Not big chances that is for sure, but chances are chances....

Think he needs to pull his finger out, buck up his ideas, grow up and take responsibility financially without becoming a criminal...!!!

Sensemaya

PreludeForTimeFeelers wrote: »

That's a Northern Ireland site - is it the same here?

You know I had the same problem when I tried to find another link ( somwhere in the sticky again ) updating something or other.

I should be more careful.:(

howmuchisenough

kevin137 wrote: »

The whole problem with this claim your ex is making resolves around something very simple...

Does your EX have DEPENDANT children, and by the fact that YOU are claiming the CB, the answer can only be NO...

That makes his claim fraudulent, end of story...

Make it clear that you will use the CSA if he is not forthcoming about the money he is claiming and SHOUDL be paying, but also make it clear that you are aware the claim has been made and as it could potentially involve you with any investigation for benefits fraud that you are considering using the CSA to clarify the claim so there can be no mistake about who has custody and is the entitled person...

You are opening up a whole can of worms with this, and that is a problem,
for you as well... As if they do investigate, they will look at you as well, and that is not nice, on the flip side, you might get less money, which is also not nice, but benefit fraud is FRAUD, and being a party to it, means you could end up suffering as a result. Not big chances that is for sure, but chances are chances....

Think he needs to pull his finger out, buck up his ideas, grow up and take responsibility financially without becoming a criminal...!!!

Thank you all for taking the time to reply.
I don't see how I can be implicated at all? I stopped my claim for all TC as soon as my BF moved in with us. I have had no communications with anyone since I stopped my claim. I have not confirmed that the child is living with my ex and no one has asked me to......I have not been involved with his claim in any manner. O dear.....!

howmuchisenough

Sorry, just to add.....
I spoke to ex last night who has said that he will pay for 1/2 of all child's activities and 1/2 clothing. He has also said that he wants to have the child 1/2 the time.
This in itself is a bit of a result as these things add up very quickly and for a long time I've been paying them all myself.

I guess if he is having the child 1/2 the time then perhaps his claim is not fraudulent? However, seems weird that they are going to pay the TC to him with me still getting the CB?
I only caught a very quick glimpse of the letter from TC and cannot say if it was for CTC or WTC.

fishybusiness

The whole problem with this claim your ex is making resolves around something very simple...

Does your EX have DEPENDANT children, and by the fact that YOU are claiming the CB, the answer can only be NO...

That makes his claim fraudulent, end of story...

Make it clear that you will use the CSA if he is not forthcoming about the money he is claiming and SHOUDL be paying, but also make it clear that you are aware the claim has been made and as it could potentially involve you with any investigation for benefits fraud that you are considering using the CSA to clarify the claim so there can be no mistake about who has custody and is the entitled person...

You are opening up a whole can of worms with this, and that is a problem,
for you as well... As if they do investigate, they will look at you as well, and that is not nice, on the flip side, you might get less money, which is also not nice, but benefit fraud is FRAUD, and being a party to it, means you could end up suffering as a result. Not big chances that is for sure, but chances are chances....

Think he needs to pull his finger out, buck up his ideas, grow up and take responsibility financially without becoming a criminal...!!!

Said much more clearly than I have done.

No one here except you knows your ex, he may be a very nice person. The way it comes across is that he has been being less than fair with you, and if, and it is an 'IF' he is claiming CTC, he will be found out somewhere down the line. There is a possibility HMRC would check up on you to make sure you weren't in on any deal.

To my mind, it would be wise to ensure all is above board for your own piece of mind and future.

Regarding maintenance and support, again it comes across that you are not sure of your rights. Also, you don't know his income. He may be playing it fair, but if he is not you could be getting the raw end of the deal.

If I was to give any advice I would say ring Tax Credits to make sure you are classed as the resident parent with day to day responsibility. Also, I would talk to CSA, they may say he has to pay nothing, even though he is working, but they may tell you things you were not aware of.

Thumper7

From HMRC website:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/start/who-qualifies/children/children-taxcredits.htm#4

If your child lives with more than one person

Only one household can get Child Tax Credit for a child.
You might look after a child who sometimes lives with you and sometimes lives with someone else. You can't both get Child Tax Credit for the same child, so you'll have to decide who should get it.
You can't claim Child Tax Credit if your child doesn't live with you at all - even if you're paying maintenance.
If you can't agree who'll claim

If you can't agree who'll get the Child Tax Credit, both of you should claim for the child. Then the Tax Credit Office will decide for you. They'll contact both of you so that they can work out who has main responsibility for the child. They will consider things that include the number of days the child lives with you, and where they keep most of their clothes and toys.
If you're already getting Child Tax Credit for your child

Someone else might make a claim for a child you're getting Child Tax Credit for. If this happens, the Tax Credit Office may ask you to tell them why you think you have main responsibility for that child.
If you can't agree who should get the Child Tax Credit, the Tax Credit Office will decide for you. You'll still keep getting paid while they make their decision.

It doesn't say anywhere that you need to be claiming CB.

kevin137

I wasn't implying that you are breaking the law, just saying that IF they investigate, it WILL drag you into it as it is for a child living with you...

It is a bit of a hard one to decide, as i do believe the qualifier is CB, but it is not clarified, but you ex is most definitely breaking the law by starting a claim for a child that does not live with him, and this may well be a means to an end, we just don't know him the way you do...

Shared custody in the UK does not actually mean shared custody, if you give this to him, by way of 50%, then what does that actually mean...? 1 week with him, 1 week with you, or split over 1 week, CSA use NIGHTS to decide, and as you cannot split 7 nights, then you always have a primary carer, and this SHOULD be used to determine who has the CB and the right to claim the childs residence and CTC, without it being a majority then he does not have a right to claim, if you give him the majority then he could claim CSA from you...

Think long and hard about it...!!!

Half of activities, clothing etc is good, but only if he has half the time, and that is where you need to be careful...