Paying chunk off mortgage & CSA - Help?!?

FairyElephant_2

Hi All,

I always wanted to be 'Mortgage Free by 40' - which is 2.5 years time. Sadly I won't quite get there, but we do make regular overpayments as much as we can afford towards clearing our mortgage early.

As my DH has to pay CSA Maintenance for his kids from previous marriage, most of what we pay off the mortgage is actually 'my' money - he has practially no disposable income.

I would like to use a chunk of my ISA savings (about 10k) to bring down the mortgage by a nice amount, but I don't know if this will affect his CSA assessment? I know that they always ask how much is owing on the mortgage (which is our joint names), and apparantly make an allowance towards his living cost when they make assessments.

I'm not trying to be mean here, I just don't think it'll be fair if MY hard-earned cash paying off the mortgage means HE ends up paying his ex more in maintenance (especially when she is FAR FAR better off financially than we will ever be!).

Our other option as I see it would be for me to keep saving in ISA etc. until his youngest is 18 and he won't be paying maintenance any more, but that is 5 years away and I'm impatient to get this Mortgage down!!!!!

Anyone any knowledge/advice that can help me please?

Thanks,

FE

Mumto5

I've been where you are. I used to fume with resenment while my dh's ex stayed at home with her school age kids while I went to work with pre-schoolers to earn pennies after childcare costs. I found that the more money I earned the more the CSA took from DH. Personally I would keep saving in your ISA. The CSA is as bad as it's reputation - you can't win they will squeeze every penny they can out of you. Fortunately my dsd and dss are now grown up - we made our last payment to the CSA 3 years ago.

Good luck!

FairyElephant_2

Thanks Mumto5 - it's SO maddening isn't it?!? I absolutely SEETH!!!!

She lied, cheated & took my DH (we weren't together then) for every penny and then some.....now married to the guy she was seeing when they were still married and they have a huge 5/6-bed house, 1 new + 1 nearly-new car, a holiday villa in Spain etc, etc, etc....while we struggle along in our tiny 3-bed terrace with our old bangers....and she still demands cash over & above the CSA's enormous demands for 'extras' like school trips!

Still, I take a deep breath and try to rise above........We have worked hard and now have no debts apart from the mortgage, I don't need to pay a cleaner to keep my house (I wish!), and above all I have the loveliest DH who is sweet, kind, loving and practical - wheras hers might be part of the G&T & Golf set, and buy her expensive presents & holidays, but he can't even change the fuse in a plug so the stepkids tell us!