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Hi gents,
Anybody in the same boat I have a 7 year old and never missed a payment and have a family base arrangement £60 pw every Wednesday and sometimes she will ask for the payment earlier like a Monday so seemed cosy and worked well for many years.
Just come home to a CMS letter which shocked me because only last week I helped my ex by paying early and being flexible and we get on well so its so strange.
New payments will be £69 pw so not far off but we do we go from here i fear things we now become cold,I even help with lifts and stuff and she didn't even speak or warn me about this could have just asked!Even today she text to say hope your having a good time with my lad etc
Weird
Hi, whilst it could be the typical ex behaviour, there is also the possibility that if she is struggling financially and has mentioned it to friends/family then the suggestion you are underpaying may have been made and for her to contact CMS, potentially not malicious.
However, you now have your solution to the whole paying early and her asking for it to be paid outside of agreement. With the CMS now involved, there is an expectation you pay it timely and also use a clear payment reference when paying by bank transfer so that you have evidence of payment, amount, date so there is no dispute. If she does want it paying earlier etc you could if you wish ask her to contact CMS to get the date changed and see what they say (more than likely they will say no or contact you which could take weeks)...
All the best..
Just curious im on salary is it my decision to pay monthly because she prefers weekly but I would like to pay every month and get it out the way,she didn't add 52 nights a year too I noticed so it actually £58 per week.
Will ring them using reference number
now that this is in the hands of CMS, be mindful now that if your earnings increase, then so does your maintenance. any pay rises, bonuses, over-time work will mean you have to pay more.
@bill337
Hi Bill,
Cheers for heads up yeah guess will just be a new way of thinking its just a shock when not expecting it,
Old arrangement was a good deal because I got extras like school uniform and clothing/toy request that she couldn't afford.
Still seems odd because we talk like friends when around each other I guess thats life nothing is always as it seems with people in private life behind closed doors.
As far as I am aware, you can pay monthly if you choose, so do that and she is going to have to learn to budget better as a consequence of her decision. As mentioned above, make absolutely sure that the standing order you set up has child maintenance (or a CMS reference number if there is one) as your payment reference, so it is absolutely clear that these payments are for child maintenance.
@actd
Cheers yeah makes sense only thing I'm not sure about is im trying to avoid collect and pay because of the charges and from what I can see on booklet you can choose direct pay (original letter ex has put she wants collect and pay)
If they let us sort it ourselves by doing direct pay and she don't agree to monthly pay what happens then if aggrement can't be reached on that
Yo mate, even if she chooses click and collect , and you choose direct pay they will go with direct pay mate. They will only enforce the click and collect if you miss payments.
I have am having a lot of difficulties with the CMS though, they all say different things. But what i have mentioned above is true, do not listen to the people that answer the phone, only the application team kind of know what they are talking about.
I am in arrears at the moment because CMS is taking ages to progress my case even though its not my fault and i am complying with everything.
They are an absolute nightmare to get a hold of as well, you got to ring them directly at 9:30am to get through to them, ask to speak to the case handler or application team.
Problem being mate is that because if takes them around 30 days to process your case you will always be the 30 days in arrears for the first year! so your monthly payment will be as per the calculator plus the arrears which is divided by the 12 months.
I received a letter last week out the blue, from some women i have not seen in years, claiming the child is mine the stress they put on you is un real, they do not treat the man fairly either.
Hello mate cheers
Feel better in many ways because feels like a good opportunity to pay monthly which I prefer
Only thing I don't understand it arrears because I have a brand new case and first payment is 1st June but shows arrears of £8.56 but how does arrears work if your on direct pay and pay your ex directly via online banking?
Collect and pay is only used if there are arrears. Worth having a word with CMS but I'm pretty sure they will allow you to pay monthly - as long as you pay as per their schedule, then you are safe. If your ex is struggling with the amount you are paying now, then collect and pay would be bad for her as well - they add 20% to the amount you pay, and knock 7% off the amount she receives, so she's put collect and pay as a way of getting at you.
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