CSA Payments

nipper76

Hello...

Are there any options or ways to get a reduction on CSA payments..?
I'm not trying to get out of it as i am more than happy to provide for my Children, BUT since my ex spitefully decided to claim CSA instead of having a mutual agreement i have had to give up my flat thus meaning i cannot now have the kids over to stay as often as i did as i now only rent a room. i have also lost my car as i couldn't afford to keep it on the road.
I earn a little over 800pm which automatically puts me into the main stream bracket. So where i have 3 children with my Ex i have to pay 25% which is effectively one weeks wages per month.

they don't seem to take into consideration any bills, fines, rent, travel costs.
i've just got on with it but i dont want to continue to live in a room. i want to be able to have a flat again where i cant have my children to stay.

HoneyNutLoop

I see from your other thread that you are thinking of moving in with your partner, who has 1 child. If you did this, the CSA will ask you to pay your 25% maintenance on 85% of your net income rather than all of it, to take account of the child in your household. However, they will also count your new households working and child tax credits as your income when working out the maintenance, so swings and roundabouts.

If your income and pension contributions are unchanged from when the amount was calculated and you don't end up living with your partner, the only other relevant considerations for altering child maintenance come under the variations scheme:
Do you incur costs of more than £520 a year travelling to see your children?
Are you paying the mortgage on the PWC's home?
Are you still paying debts that you and the PWC incurred when you were a couple? (There are some follow up questions on that one if you are, it's not quite that simple?)
Are you paying towards any of your children attending boarding school?
If your partner moves in with you and her child has a long term illness or disability, and you are meeting associated costs in excess of any disability related benefit in payment, they can take that into account.

If your incomnr is no different, and none of the variation grounds apply to you, your maintenance payments assessed by the CSA will not change.

Could you and your PWC come to a private agreement? Could you offer her something that is more valuable to her than money for a reduction in maintenance? An example might be if she has high child care costs, could you or your family look after the children instead for some of the time, thereby reducing her outgoings and your maintenance as part of the agreement?

If none of that is possible, then your solution is to either find a way to up your income, or reduce your costs to enable you to afford more in rent.

nipper76

so basically, CSA will take what they want to take.
No matter what your personal circumstances are, what out goings you may already have etc.
again i have no problem with shelling out for the kids, but i just can't really afford to live with what they leave me after they take their lump sum.
especially when my ex can afford to buy new cars and take trips away, (she doesn't work) and i'm almost put into poverty.
Also, as and when i find a higher paid job, i'll have to pay her more money won't i..? it will always be a weeks wage out of a month.
i think the system is unfair on people that want to pay and have a part in their kids lives.... especially when i have had to pay to take my ex to court to get a court order as she refused me access to the kids.
its horrible not being able to treat the kids as i'm now always watching my pennies.

DUTR

nipper76 wrote: »

so basically, CSA will take what they want to take.
No matter what your personal circumstances are, what out goings you may already have etc.
again i have no problem with shelling out for the kids, but i just can't really afford to live with what they leave me after they take their lump sum.
especially when my ex can afford to buy new cars and take trips away, (she doesn't work) and i'm almost put into poverty.
Also, as and when i find a higher paid job, i'll have to pay her more money won't i..? it will always be a weeks wage out of a month.
i think the system is unfair on people that want to pay and have a part in their kids lives.... especially when i have had to pay to take my ex to court to get a court order as she refused me access to the kids.
its horrible not being able to treat the kids as i'm now always watching my pennies.

You've just got to get on with it mate, yes it 25% look at it another way, in years to come, you will feel like you have a free 17-30% pay rise.