Pensions contributions not showing on CM payment calculation

crazymoose2000

Hi all, posting on behalf of a friend.

He makes CM payments each month but on the payment calculation pension contributions are showing as £0 for the year.

He currently has £121 per month paid into his work pension that comes out of his wages so should be showing as £1456 ish for the year?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

DE_612183

bit more info required - which provider are the payments supposedly being paid to?

has he checked with his payroll to make sure they are being paid?

121 * 4 months ( from start of financial year ) would be £480ish for 2025-26 - where are you getting the £1456 from?

crazymoose2000

DE_612183 said:

bit more info required - which provider are the payments supposedly being paid to?

has he checked with his payroll to make sure they are being paid?

121 * 4 months ( from start of financial year ) would be £480ish for 2025-26 - where are you getting the £1456 from?

Thanks for the reply, the pension provider is Aegon. The payments are being made each month. £1456 should have been the previous years payments which are also showing as £0. So for the 3 years going through CM the pension payments have always shown as £0 on there calculation for some reason.

DE_612183

ok, could it be that the "payment calculation" is showing what can be paid once he retires?

you should have a "pot" value which includes employee contributions, employer contributions plus any tax relief if applicable and any growth.

crazymoose2000

DE_612183 said:

ok, could it be that the "payment calculation" is showing what can be paid once he retires?

you should have a "pot" value which includes employee contributions, employer contributions plus any tax relief if applicable and any growth.

Is it because its a pension through his employer and they don't accept that? They only accept personal (not through employer) contributions?

Very confused by it all, he will have phone them and sit on hold for hours and see what they say I think.

Exodi

I'm surprised they would consider pension contributions at all, otherwise what would be stopping someone from increasing their contributions or salary sacrificing down to minimum wage and then claiming they can only pay the bare minimum in support? I don't think that's right.

Could it be that 'pension' on the calculation is actually referring to pension income (i.e. what you are taking from your pension pot, instead of adding to it - actual withdrawals and/or assessed on pot value).

Continuing this logic, £0 could be stated as the pension value, because he is not able to access his pension yet.

crazymoose2000

Exodi said:

I'm surprised they would consider pension contributions at all, otherwise what would be stopping someone from increasing their contributions or salary sacrificing down to minimum wage and then claiming they can only pay the bare minimum in support? I don't think that's right.

Could it be that 'pension' on the calculation is actually referring to pension income (i.e. what you are taking from your pension pot, instead of adding to it - actual withdrawals and/or assessed on pot value).

Continuing this logic, £0 could be stated as the pension value, because he is not able to access his pension yet.

It specifically says ' Private Pension contributions you have made - £0'

Exodi

crazymoose2000 said:

Exodi said:

I'm surprised they would consider pension contributions at all, otherwise what would be stopping someone from increasing their contributions or salary sacrificing down to minimum wage and then claiming they can only pay the bare minimum in support? I don't think that's right.

Could it be that 'pension' on the calculation is actually referring to pension income (i.e. what you are taking from your pension pot, instead of adding to it - actual withdrawals and/or assessed on pot value).

Continuing this logic, £0 could be stated as the pension value, because he is not able to access his pension yet.

It specifically says ' Private Pension contributions you have made - £0'

My apologies, I'm surprised by that, but I've learned something today.

Looking into it:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-we-work-out-child-maintenance/how-we-work-out-child-maintenance#:~:text=A: Gross weekly income is,paid by the paying parent.

So it sounds like you were right in your initial assumption.

"Is it because its a pension through his employer and they don't accept that? They only accept personal (not through employer) contributions?"

sheramber

If it is deducted from his wages does his wages figure reflect the reduced amount after the pension payments have been deducted?

crazymoose2000

sheramber said:

If it is deducted from his wages does his wages figure reflect the reduced amount after the pension payments have been deducted?

Yes everything on his wage slip / pension account ties up with the payments its just child maintenance not taking it into account for the payment calculation thats odd.

DE_612183

Sorry - I'm lost here - are we talking about pension contributions being made and Child Maintenance payments - what is the link between the two?