Unfair Child support contribution?

lu6y

My son is 18 and attending higher education and has recently moved into student accommodation due to the institutes location from
our home. His father has paid £216 a month since he was 2yrs old and told the CSA that he earned £25k a year and had him every other weekend. His father owns at least 2 houses that I know of and 2 show jumping horses and drives a Porsche ( go figure!) and has never had him more than once a month in a good year. Anyway, my son’s recent accommodation comes to £560pcm and I have asked him to contribute half. He’s arguing that his maintenance is his half. I have asked for more to which he has agreed to pay £900 every 6 months - this brings the payment to £506 pcm. My argument is that the maintenance should not be included as my son is still living at home non term time snd relying on me financially. Am I wrong?

Spendless

Higher education is in Uni you mean? Usually child maintenance stops once  further ie  A level (or equivalent) education is finished with. 

Does your son not get student finance? If he does the maintenance loan should have taken into account the household income of where your son lives and be based on that parents household income. The lower the household income of the resident parent  the more entitlement to a loan your child should have to support themselves and any rental costs whilst studying.

I'm wondering if you've understood the hidden parental contribution of student maintenance loans?  There's articles about it on this site. Are you now married or living with someone? If so, your son's maintenance allowance will be based on both yours and your new partners/husbands income. The higher that is the less your son receives, you are meant to supply the difference.  Your ex's income however good or bad isn't taken into account for this as your son doesn't reside with him.

When you split was there anything written in about how long ex would pay maintenance for? On the face of it it sounds like your son's Dad has no legal duty to be paying child support anymore (moral is a different story).

Do you think you could provide a few more details, like if it is Uni you mean, where in the UK you are (just in case different rules apply elsewhere and I'm unaware) and if there was a legal obligation for your ex to provide support  after sixth form? 

Here's an article about the hidden parental contribution for student finance.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2021/06/martin-lewis-hidden-parental-contribution-university-/

mattyprice4004

As above, if living away from home it sounds like Uni - so no maintenance is due by law. 

MalMonroe

I never even thought about that when my daughter went to Uni. Her dad left home when she was 9 and he paid regular maintenance but when she went to Uni at 18, he didn't pay me a penny. Because I worked full time but didn't earn a large wage, she was entitled to the maximum student loan amount. When she came home during holidays it never entered my head that her dad would give us anything for her upkeep. She was fed and watered and did her own laundry, etc. and I provided for her until the next semester. Her dad did, and always has, given her extra sums of money as and when but nothing for me. Her dad also owns two properties - but lives overseas and now she only sees him via Skype. They DO have a good relationship, even though he always puts his partner before her (he's on his fourth wife as we speak). 

Your ex is still contributing and I don't think that is a bad amount, really. Hmm. Perhaps I'm too easily pleased though. It would be worse if your ex wasn't contributing anything. If you keep pushing, he may decide not to pay anything - and nobody will be able to make him.

poppy12345

lu6y said:

my son is still living at home non term time snd relying on me financially. Am I wrong?

A lot of students have no option but to work as well as study rather than rely on parents to support them. They maybe students but they are adults in their own right. My son and daughter both worked right through their student years at UNI.