CSA ....an (absent) and bitter Dads point of view

his_wife

i totally agree fbaby, but then of course, way down the line, when these single parents are no longer entitled to benefits then what??

I know everybodies circumstances are different, but i think, if you receive benefits, and csa, then the benefits should either not be paid, or the csa should be paid back to the benefits.

How people can get max housing benefit etc, and receive x amount, ie £600 a month in csa for one child , is ridiculous!!

GwylimT

So you cannot be bothered to raise your own children and seem pretty annoyed that your son had to live with you when he was 16, but you also don't want to pay for them, you sound like a real catch. Your kids are so lucky to have such a great dad!

SingleSue

Oh I can only dream of a large maintenance payment for our children each week....when the rules changed, I got the grand total of £10 a week more (still very welcome though).

His wife - I get under quarter of that amount for three children! Well, used to be for three children before eldest went to uni last month. Thankfully and to his credit, he has not changed the agreement and still pays the same amount as before (private agreement) but then, the amount had not increased in the last god knows how many years either.

Not all PWC are rolling in the benefits plus large CSA/maintenance payments, some of us receive a much smaller amount from the NRP.

FBaby

Not all PWC are rolling in the benefits plus large CSA/maintenance payments, some of us receive a much smaller amount from the NRP.

It was never implied that all do, but the issue is that some do, and these some shouldn't be able to claim all the child related benefit they get when they already receive so much to support your children. One mum I know ends up with higher net income than someone earning £50k, however, no question of her having her CB touched. The system is unbelievable...

Marisco

I don't know why they cannot means test child related benefits for PWC's, i.e send out forms to fill as to the amount of CM (if any) they get, and knock off the benefits accordingly. So if someone gets (figures for example) £400 child related benefits and £500 CM, then they get no benefits. But if someone only gets £20 CM, then they get £480 CB.

If the NRP stops paying or gets assessed for less (for whatever reason) then the child related benefits can be reinstated. Or you could, to make sure all working NRP's pay something, go for a DEO straight away. In the case of non compliant SE's, then they could pick a figure, say £15/20,000pa, and take CM out of that, at least then the PWC would be getting something as opposed to nothing, and it would save the taxpayers a bit as well.

kaya

If the courts started to grant custody to fathers as keenly as they do to mums this thread would have a different slant entirely, maintenance is predominantly paid to women by men who seem to think its their god given right to make the ex husband suffer financial hardship until the kids leave education , not exactly an even or fair field of play is it?

Cally_Smart

That is what used to happen,if you were on Income support the pwc was allowed to keep £10 of the money weekly or save it up and get it all at once (up to £100,I think it was)when you came off benefits as a back to work incentive to help tide you over a bit! Then the nrps were looking after their offspring by paying the Government back.What the problem is also is the present system is encouraging some pwc to see them selves as getting more money if they deny nrp is having care of the children & preventing them getting the reduction. I know of at least 2 pwcs who have 4 children by different fathers & who get 4 x 20% nrp's of his wages (well actually more 40% of off of 2 because 2 nrps are in arrears!)Get free school meals ,free school trips, prescriptions etc the tax credits & full CB. Surely this wasn't designed to happen!

FBaby

maintenance is predominantly paid to women by men who seem to think its their god given right to make the ex husband suffer financial hardship until the kids leave education , not exactly an even or fair field of play is it?

You mean by insuring the nrp contributes the 15/20/25% recommended? That's the only control they have over their ex's finances...

his_wife

single sue, i am sorry, if you thought i meant ALL single parents i didnt, i meant some, i too only received ten pounds a week for my four children, however, they are single parents out there with multiple children, too multiple fathers. i personally know of at least three people, who , receive more income than most two parent working families, as well as their benefits.

Like i said, there isnt a one size fits all policy, however, the government definitley need to look into this.

SingleSue

Goodness no, I never intended you to think that I thought you meant all PWC's....like in everything, there are always extremes.

Not sure if that even made sense, lots of thought and meants in there!