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I have been off work sick for 18 weeks, my pay has been halved to £845pm. I have been paying child support but I'm due to go into rehab any day now and I just want to know if I still have to pay. Even if I don't, I will because I love my kids and it's my duty. I have emergency funding in place for rehab and they will be taking all of my wage apart from £30pw, also am I entitled to any form of benefits.
Thanks
If your child maintenance is a private arrangement, you should negotiate with the other parent to take account of your changed circumstances.
If your arrangement is through the CSA/CMS it's probably best to speak to them about the changes, as generally, when there has been a change of over 25% in income, you can ask for them to look again and they would make a variation.
As far as your entitlement to extra help, I would advise you speak to the DWP about your eligibility for any benefits.
It might be useful to talk to the Citizens Advice Bureau, they should also be able to advise you.
All the best
Hello JV81
Any child maintenance arrangements that are set up between parents, which are known as family-based arrangements, are not legally binding, therefore, it is down to you and the other parent to agree on whether maintenance is payable, and if so, the amount paid.
If your child maintenance arrangement is arranged through a statutory scheme (either the Child Maintenance Service or the Child Support Agency), you will need to contact them directly to see if payments will be affected. Their contact details can usually be found on any letters they have sent you.
If there is a court order in place for child maintenance payments, you will need to refer to your documentation for the terms of this. If it is not clear, you may wish to seek legal advice.
For a more personalised response, you may wish to contact Child Maintenance Options directly at 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
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