Can I have some feedback on my SOA please?

Wasabi74

tigerfeet2006 wrote: »

Go for it. As you are on benefits the OR cannot give you an IPA so you don't have to worry too much. They just want to see you are not spending in a silly way.

Doesn't child maintenance count as 'normal' income which means an IPA will be applicable though? It's a voluntary agreement between my ex husband and I; he pays by bank transfer directly on to my account every month.

tigerfeet2006

But I would argue that it is a state mandated amount that the government have deemed the minimum acceptable for the NR partner to pay to house, clothe, keep warm, feed his off spring with and they are not part of your BR and the rest of your income is benefits.

HappyMJ

Wasabi74 wrote: »

Doesn't child maintenance count as 'normal' income which means an IPA will be applicable though? It's a voluntary agreement between my ex husband and I; he pays by bank transfer directly on to my account every month.

Not necessarily because the child support is there to give the child the lifestyle the child would have had had the partner still been there. So as long as you spend it all on the children they can't take any of it. If you've got any excess they can take it from "your" personal income of which you have none. If you got a job earning £100 per week for example they could take all of it if you don't have enough expenses.

Are you sure £28 a month is enough for public transport. It's not much. You should look at buying a monthly ticket and using that figure. Take the kids on day trips as often as possible. I would get very depressed sitting at home all the time.

Minimum Sky package is fine due to the free/heavily discounted internet.

You know you can put more down for holidays. You've only got £55 for 4. That's surely not enough.

Wasabi74

Thank you both. It does make sense now, and it would be really great if the OR decided not to apply an IPA.

My ex husband pays £563 a month. When you say 'spending it all on the children'.... that would not only include childcare and children activities/clothes/nappies (ie directly related expenses) but also ones such as the need to spend a lot more in rent due to needing the space to house them for example, a higher amount on transport etc, correct?

merlin68

I noticed your not claiming council tax benefit or was that missed of.

tigerfeet2006

Wasabi74 wrote: »

Thank you both. It does make sense now, and it would be really great if the OR decided not to apply an IPA.

My ex husband pays £563 a month. When you say 'spending it all on the children'.... that would not only include childcare and children activities/clothes/nappies (ie directly related expenses) but also ones such as the need to spend a lot more in rent due to needing the space to house them for example, a higher amount on transport etc, correct?

Correct

Wasabi74

merlin68 wrote: »

I noticed your not claiming council tax benefit or was that missed of.

I do, that's why I only pay £25 a month:)