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Hi.
I just have been informed by a friend that I might have been paying too much child maintenance for the last few years.
The existing agreement has been ongoing for over 10 years now, first through the CSA and now through direct pay.
I have remarried and now have another 2 children who live with me, and my friend believes this affects what I should pay.
The child I pay for doesn't stay with me any nights, but my friend says that my children who live with me do affect this.
Can anyone tell me if this is true? I find the CSA hard to deal with and prefer to know before I call them. Thanks
Hi there
Put simply, yes any children living with you do effect the amount you pay...I believe they make a percentage deduction based on the number of children living with you, before making the calculation for maintenance. They should also make a reduction if you pay into a pension.
It sounds like you are still on the previous scheme (CSA2). Your case will be moved over to the new scheme at some point in the next couple of years and the criteria for calculating the amount will change slightly.
If they are using the CSA2 scheme to calculate your maintenance, for two children I think it's a 20% reduction of your income before making the calculations, but you need to check this
If you look at the stickys at the top of the child maintenance section you'll find one called " How does the CSA calculate payments", all three existing schemes are covered in the links within this sticky which you may find helpful.
Best of luck
Hi Chris,
Your friend is totally correct, if you have other children that you provide for they reduce your money. The percentages have changed from the CSA to the CMS, the CMS do a percentage reduction on your taxable earnings, and i think if you have 2 children they reduce it by 11% (i.e if your Taxable earnings per week are £100 they work it out on £89 per week) Also if you pay into a pension this is also removed from your earnings (i.e if you pay £5 a week into a pension they would then calculate your payments based on £84 per week).
Hope this helps, good way to check is on the CMS government calculator
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