Thanks for joining us on the forum – glad to have you here. You are welcome to post 24/7 but please note that whilst we have forum moderators we will only be moderating the forum during office hours. If though you need urgent crisis help, please contact Samaritans on 116 123.
Spurgeons and Dad.Info doesn’t investigate reports of abuse or neglect. But below, you can find advice on who to contact if you have concerns about a child or young person.
Reporting a concern
It can be difficult to know what to do if you think a child is at risk. It’s important to remember that if you’ve spotted things that don’t seem right, others will have too. Speaking up can make sure that child gets help as soon as possible.
The sooner you contact your local children’s social care duty team, the quicker they can act. They’re available 24 hours a day, and can make an anonymous report if that feels safer. If a child is in immediate danger, please call the police straight away by dialling 999.
Report child abuse or neglect to your local council
Use these links to get in touch with your local council:
Hi all
What do we think about this, is my logic completely insane?
So, let's assume we have 1 child, father earns £30k per year, no other income etc. Father is happy to pay his share of course.
From the gov.uk calculator - https://www.gov.uk/calculate-child-maintenance
Using the above scenario - If the father has less than 1 overnight stay per week, he will pay £299 per month
So, let's think about that £299 per month is father's share - we're told this is the contribution based on father's circumstances for 50% of the child's costs
If the child stays with father overnight more for more than 50% of the time and father pays for the costs when child is with him, then he's already paid his half and there is no CMS to pay, quite correct.
So if we go back to the calculation... if the child stays with father 1 night per week, the monthly amount reduces by £43 to £256 i.e one seventh reduction
if the child stays with father 2 nights per week, the monthly amount reduces by £86 to £213 i.e two sevenths reduction
if the child stays with father 3 nights per week, the monthly amount reduces by £129 to £170 i.e three sevenths reduction
if the child stays with father more than 3 nights per week then there is nothing to pay - as said above..
So, to me, in their calulation for between 1 and 3 nights with father, CMS are saying, the £299 per month is 100% of the child's costs - which of course it is not (or we're told on one hand it is not!!), it should be 50%
So these fractions should be doubled, i.e 1 night reduced by two sevenths, 2 nights reduced by four sevenths, three nights reduced by six sevenths.
The only way the existing setup could possibly be fair is if the mother was to pay father one seventh for one night etc - we all know how that would go!!!!!!!!!
Am I crazy?
Hi.
Yes it does seem to be a flawed system. There have been a number of debates in parliament about it.
---
MPs have warned the "slow and ineffective" Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is "exacerbating child poverty".
A report from the Work and Pensions committee said the service was working too slowly for some parents and was charging others unaffordable payments.
I agree. You have described the idiocy of the system well.