Wife's income and child benefit

Blueknight72

Why the hell should my wife's income and our child benefit be taken into account when calculating CS1 assessment to pay for MY child? This system is all wrong and is causing a lot of trouble between myself and my wife, we are on the verge of breaking up and she is ill with worry.

martinthebandit

If your child lived with you would not your wife's income etc go towards her upkeep?

justontime

Your wife can't be forced to provide details of her income. In most cases it doesn't make any difference to the calculation anyway.

Blueknight72

My daughter does not live with us, we have not saw her in 5yrs. I have a daughter with my current wife and she has a child from her previous marriage.

Blueknight72

Justontime, her income is used in the disposable section.

Browntoa

Makes it easier for us to follow if you kept to your original thread rather than multiple threads

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/66967969#Comment_66967969

Means all your information is in one place

shoe*diva79

your wife does not have to provide her income, however, if she does not then the CSA will assume that she is also providing towards the total households costs giving you more disposable income.

For example, if your wife didnt work and you had £1000 a month income then you personally would be paying all the household costs leaving whatever disposable income there is.

if your wife worked and you both earned £1000 a month each then she would be paying towards the household costs meaning you were not paying as much so have more disposable income.

Having not seen your daughter for 5 years does not make a difference in terms of having to pay maintenance. Neither the fact that you have gone on to have another child... Your first one still needs a contribution from you for her upbringing.

justontime

Blueknight72 wrote: »

Justontime, her income is used in the disposable section.

It only makes a difference under very limited circumstances. If your wife objects she should refuse to disclose her income. My husband was on CSA1 until recently and for several years I chose not to disclose my income. It will result in a category B assessment which is usually the same as a normal assessment.

FBaby

I have a daughter with my current wife and she has a child from her previous marriage.

So she's happy that you shouldn't contribute in anyway towards her child from her previous relationship too then?

Understand the frustration on the basis of no contact, but ultimately, you can't think it is fair that the system should expect one step parent to contribute but not the other.

Blueknight72

FBaby, the system isn't fair. My ex lives with her partner who earns a lot more than my wife and I together, my ex also has a good job but their income dosnt come into it because the ex receives child benefit but they use my wife's income and our child benefit!

I'm all for NRPs paying for their child as I have been for many years but to take my wife's income into account is a disgrace.

swingaloo

But surely this means that a percentage of your ex's partners income goes towards supporting your child so what is the difference. your child benefits from joint incomes on both sides.