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I pay my ex wife £400 per month in child maintenance. My son wants to go away to college. Ive said the £400 a month I pay is my contribution and my ex should contribute the same. My ex is saying she'll be down the £400 a month I pay her at the moment, then she'll have to find another £400 a month to pay "half" her share, she says she's effectively down £800 per month wereas my outlay stays the same. She is saying I should pay the majority of the money its going to cost us to send him to college. I obviously don't mind contributing a little bit moremoney every month direct to my son, but feel she should contribute half the overall cost. Where do I stand?
By law you are only obliged to pay the maintenance that is due, use the CMS calculator to work the numbers out. Also you are only obliged to pay maintenance if he is in no advanced education. Anything above this is an agreement between you and your sons mother. Seems to me if she is trying to get as much out of you as she can.
Hello ebygum
Maintenance payments should continue until a child is 20, if they are in full-time, non-advanced education. Once a child goes to university, that is advanced education and maintenance payments are no longer legally required.
If maintenance payments are still required for your son, you are only legally liable to pay approximately the amount that the maintenance calculator estimates. Anything extra would be something you agree with your ex only.
If you require any further information, you can contact Child Maintenance Options directly, http://www.cmoptions.org.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have a website, ‘Sorting out separation’. It aims to make it much easier for separating and separated parents (and childless couples) to find the support they need, when and where they need it, and encourages them to collaborate on a range of issues. The link is https://www.sortingoutseparation.org.uk/
Regards
William
Hello ebygum
Maintenance payments should continue until a child is 20, if they are in full-time, non-advanced education. Once a child goes to university, that is advanced education and maintenance payments are no longer legally required.
If maintenance payments are still required for your son, you are only legally liable to pay approximately the amount that the maintenance calculator estimates. Anything extra would be something you agree with your ex only.
If you require any further information, you can contact Child Maintenance Options directly, http://www.cmoptions.org.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have a website, ‘Sorting out separation’. It aims to make it much easier for separating and separated parents (and childless couples) to find the support they need, when and where they need it, and encourages them to collaborate on a range of issues. The link is https://www.sortingoutseparation.org.uk/
Regards
William
Hi all , first time on here and apologies if this has been asked many times but any advice would be gratefully recieved , I currently pay csa and my 16 year old daughter has left full time college and is looking for an apprenticeship and doing voulentary work . I want to pay her direct of the csa money can I do this and inform the csa hope that makes sense thankyou in advance
Hi Spooky
If your child has left full time education, payments would usually stop a few weeks later. If she’s left mid term and the mother continues to claim child benefit, you may have difficulty getting the CSA to accept the new situation, as they use the payment of child benefit to decide if child maintenance is still payable.
I would give the CSA a call and report the change to them, but don’t stop payments until they notify you of it, otherwise you may find they’ll chase you for arrears.
Just to mention, some approved apprenticeships are counted as full time education and if your daughter goes on one of those, you may have to continue paying.
Best of luck
Hello Spooky
As previously mentioned, child maintenance should continue until a child is 16, or until 20 if they are in full-time, non-advanced education. Also, anyone aged 16 or 17 who isn't in education, is not working and does not receive employment related benefits, is also defined as a child. Child maintenance payments generally run in line with Child Benefit payments and when a child leaves education in the summer, there is a run on period to the beginning of September. If your daughter is still eligible to receive Child Benefit, you are still legally liable to pay maintenance.
Of course, if you have a family-based arrangement in place, there are no set rules for you to follow and your arrangement can include anything that you both agree to, including paying directly to your daughter. If you have a statutory arrangement in place, you would have to abide by the rules of that arrangement.
If you require any further information, you can contact Child Maintenance Options directly, http://www.cmoptions.org.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have a website, ‘Sorting out separation’. It aims to make it much easier for separating and separated parents (and childless couples) to find the support they need, when and where they need it, and encourages them to collaborate on a range of issues. The link is https://www.sortingoutseparation.org.uk/
Regards
William
Hey William... I often learn something from your posts! I didn’t realise that anyone aged 16 or 17 who isn’t in education, or employment and isn't in receipt of any work related benefits is also defined as a child.
Thanks William.:)
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