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Hi. i pay my maintenance every 4 weeks, i have my kids 1-2 times a week. i earn £200 a week and i pay £38.50 a week.
When i have both of my kids i buy cloths, toys and take them out. Can i claim any of this back on my payments ??
Hi
No, you can't claim anything back. If you are paying through the CSA, then you aren't obliged to pay anything else at all, though it can be difficult with clothes etc - the solution there is to send them back in the clothes they came in and keep anything you buy for the next time they visit.
If it's a private arrangement, then you can agree what you want with your ex.
Hi Jolliffe 166
Thank you for your post. I am William the Child Maintenance Options consultant. I will provide some information that may help answer your query.
In general, child maintenance is a contribution towards the cost of bringing up a child and this includes not only such items as food and clothing but also it is a contribution towards the home that the child lives in and the associated costs of running that home. You can find more information about this subject on our website at http://www.cmoptions.org/en/maintenance/index.asp.
As actd as mentioned, if you wanted to use the statutory rules, as the paying parent, you are legally obliged to pay what has been calculated. It would be your decision if you wish to make any additional contributions on top of your payments.
However, if you and the other parent have agreed child maintenance privately via a family-based arrangement, there are no strict rules to stick to. Therefore, as actd has mentioned, both you and the other parent have the freedom to decide the terms of your arrangement, such as if you will pay for your children’s clothing and toys etcetera, on top of your monthly child maintenance contributions.
A family-based arrangement can include money and other kinds of support, such as you directly paying for things that your children may need. Although family-based arrangements are not legally-binding, many parents prefer them because of their flexibility and ease of which they can be reviewed, such as if you or the other parent’s circumstances change. You can find more information on family-based arrangements on our website at http://www.cmoptions.org/en/family/index.asp.
If you pay child maintenance via the Child Support Agency (CSA) or the Child Maintenance Service, you may wish to contact the respective organisation that is managing your child maintenance to discuss your query. You can find the relevant contact details on any letters that you may have received, or by visiting Gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/child-maintenance/contact.
Where child maintenance has been agreed via the courts in the form of a Consent Order or Minute of Agreement (for parents that live in Scotland), you will need to review the terms and conditions of your arrangement to clarify what both of you have agreed on what your contributions will include. To help you with this, you may wish to seek legal advice.
For more information on the ways to set up child maintenance, please visit our website at http://www.cmoptions.org. Alternatively, you can call us free on 0800 988 0988 between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday or 9am and 4pm on a Saturday.
Regards
William
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