Statutory Child Support

carltonp

Hello Community,

Me and my girlfriend have a 7 week old baby.

We are very happy with our child. However, we don't live together.

My girlfriend is currently employed and earns approximately £70K.

She also has savings of around £25K.

She has asked me to contribute to her mortgage and baby living costs, e.g electricity, water, heating, food. The baby resides with her because I have big dog and we're both not comfortable with the dog around and baby.

Her mortgage is £1300/month. Her job is currently paying her maternity leave of £800/month.

I have agreed to cover the mortgage shortfall of £500. This will cover her mortgage and I feel she could use her savings to pay to for any extra heating required.

She has come back and said according to Government calculations I should be paying £800 /m as my weekly Gross income is £2000/w.

Therefore, I would like to know what is my statutory child support requirement is for a single child?

Please bear in mind this is a request for both of us. We're not arguing we just need clarity. Therefore, I don't need replies suggesting that I'm trying to renege on my responsibilities as a father.

Thank you.

cpatte7372

RAS

12% of gross income

74jax

I would say £1040 per month based on an annual gross of £104,000.00 (12% of this is £12480 for the year).

fivesquare

There's a calculator here, it tells you the weekly amount, which you need to multiply by 4.33 to get the monthly amount (multiply by 52, divide by 12). If you do an informal agreement with her, you send her the money, no need to pay any extra fees.

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

The amount you need to pay also depends on how many nights the child spends at your house. The more the child is at your house, the less you need to contribute.

fivesquare

RAS wrote: »

12% of gross income

It's more like 9%-ish at that level of income.

First £800 / week is 12%, and whatever is over £800 is at 9%.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/325219/how-we-work-out-child-maintenance.pdf

So if the father makes £2000/week gross then 12/100*800+9/100*1200=£204/week=£883/month. (That's the amount that the above calculator gives as well).

That assuming that the child spends less than 52 nights per week at the father's house, so less than one night per week.


Sorry carltonp, not very good news for you.

kingfisherblue

carltonp wrote: »

Hello Community,

Me and my girlfriend have a 7 week old baby.

We are very happy with our child. However, we don't live together.

My girlfriend is currently employed and earns approximately £70K.

She also has savings of around £25K.

She has asked me to contribute to her mortgage and baby living costs, e.g electricity, water, heating, food. The baby resides with her because I have big dog and we're both not comfortable with the dog around and baby.

Her mortgage is £1300/month. Her job is currently paying her maternity leave of £800/month.

I have agreed to cover the mortgage shortfall of £500. This will cover her mortgage and I feel she could use her savings to pay to for any extra heating required.

She has come back and said according to Government calculations I should be paying £800 /m as my weekly Gross income is £2000/w.

Therefore, I would like to know what is my statutory child support requirement is for a single child?

Please bear in mind this is a request for both of us. We're not arguing we just need clarity. Therefore, I don't need replies suggesting that I'm trying to renege on my responsibilities as a father.

Thank you.

cpatte7372

May I suggest that any child maintenance paid is labelled and paid by standing order? Although things are good for you both at the moment, and I hope that they continue that way, if you do have a breakdown in your relationship, you will have proof of payments made.

Gigglepig

carltonp wrote: »

I have agreed to cover the mortgage shortfall of £500. This will cover her mortgage and I feel she could use her savings to pay to for any extra heating required.

cpatte7372

The legal minimum is just that, a legal minimum. And, it is a payment for child maintenance for couples who have split up, it seems pretty unsual between couples who usually would take care of each other. I must say I pity a woman at home on maternity leave with a seven week old child whose father feels she can spend her savings to heat the house! At such a vulnerable time, she deserves better from her parter imo.

Kynthia

If you're together then you should be giving more than the minimum while her income is reduced. One person in the relationship shouldn't have so little that they need to use their savings to cover living expenses while the other has more than enough income to live on.

Mojisola

carltonp wrote: »

The baby resides with her because I have big dog and we're both not comfortable with the dog around and baby.

You're putting a dog above the chance to give a child a home with both parents?

mgdavid

Mojisola wrote: »

You're putting a dog above the chance to give a child a home with both parents?

My thoughts too; doesn't sound quite right, cannot think that we have the whole picture. Most odd.

AngelOfTheNorth

Her savings have nothing to do with anything. I would've thought you would want the primary carer for your child to have a decent nest egg, either so she can maintain them if the caca hits the fan or to use in some other way that might benefit him eg to go towards a home he'll eventually inherit.