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I've been separated from my ex for over 10 years now and in that time I’ve gone back to college been through my degree. My career has done well and I’m earning reasonable money now. The galling side of it is that until I got married a 3 years ago everything was going ok between me and my ex from a financial perspective. When I was self-employed and the CMS (or CSA as they were) calculated my monthly payment it was £50 a month. We mutually decided to set up a private agreement and this was considerably more than the CMS one.
Once I got married things started to unravel, my daughter wasn't visiting as often and communication with her Mum broke down. I ended up trying for mediation and she refused to attend and then the courts. We ended up last year signing a parenting plan which was drawn up by the solicitors. It was at this point my ex went to the CMS. I took the payments they asked me to pay once they finally sorted them out and all was good for a couple of months till my daughter decided she no longer wants to see me anymore. She's stopped returning calls and texts and I've not spoken to or seen her in over a year. Its traumatising really and now the CMS has upped my payments again, after 6 attempts at getting the payments correct as they had me down as being 12 months in arrears as well.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to pay what I should towards my daughter, she’s part of me and deserves to benefit from what I manage to achieve over the last and next few years. What I don’t agree with is her mum benefitting.
The CMS needs to look at where the money is going. Payments should go into supporting the roof over her head and her food on the table but the amounts I am currently paying would do that for my wife's 2 kids and leave money left over to take them out once or twice a month!
So now to my point. The CMS payments need to be means tested, it’s to help raise and look after our kids, no top up benefits or part time salaries. Too many resident parents out there are using non-resident parents as an extra pay day. And they also know that if they can stop overnight access payments will increase, that’s how I’ve been made to feel through this sorry saga.
The government need to look at this and calculate a capped rate for payments to RPs. This takes away the incentive for stopping access from a financial gain perspective. I am more than happy to pay a capped rate to my ex based on a national average wage benchmark. Put any extra money into a trust fund for my daughter so that when she's 18 she can have access to it for college, university or whatever else she may need. If something big comes up like a school trip or clothing etc then access earlier than 18 can be granted by mutual consent from the NRP. At least then they know the money is going on their child.
Help is needed to make this work. sign this petition, put it on Facebook, twitter and Instagram. Shine it in lights around the streets this Christmas, just do something to change this outdated and unfit system into something that’s works for everyone,
Many thanks for your time and hopefully support
Hi
I've remove the link for the petition as it simply say to sign the petition, it doesn't actually say what the petition is - I think it needs that so people know what they are supporting on the petition itself.
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