[Solved] maintenance

Hi there 🙂

Poor you...just try not to be embarrassed too much and keep those lines of communication open. Good luck!

As far as Maintenance is concerned you most definately are entitled to it. Theres a very informative sticky at the top of the Finance section called " How does the CSA calculate payments". It links to a CSA leaflet explaining how and what you can claim.

If you have a workable relationship with the mother you could also go for a family based arrangement where the CSA dont need to be involved. You can use their calculator to work out what she should be paying.

Theres a useful website called Child Maintenance Options that you should look at too. 🙂

You definitely can - the CSA don't concern themselves with the mother/father - to them it's the parent with care (PWC) and non-resident parent (NRP)

Hi Sandraward

Thank you for your post. I am William, the Child Maintenance Options consultant. I will provide you with some information about child maintenance that you may find useful. All parents have a responsibility to provide financially for their child, regardless of whether they are the mother or father, or if they live apart from the child.

In general the most amicable way to put child maintenance in place is to set up a family-based arrangement. With this type of maintenance, there are no strict rules to stick to as there is no court or Child Support Agency (CSA) involvement. A family-based arrangement is simply an agreement between you and your daughter's mother about who will provide what for your child. It can include money and other kinds of support, such as your child's mother directly paying for things your daughter needs or helping with your household bills. Family-based arrangements are not legally binding, however, they can be quick and easy to set up and can let your daughter have an ongoing relationship with both you and her mother.

To help you set up a family-based arrangement, we have a number of tools, forms and guides on our website that you may find useful. We have a child maintenance calculator that you can use to gain indication on what your daughter's mother may pay, if you decided to use the CSA. You can access the CSA calculator by selecting the following link http://www.cmoptions.org/en/calculator/calculator.asp. You may also wish to use this figure as a starting point for your negotiations to make a family-based arrangement. You may also wish to use our family-based arrangement form to write down the terms of your agreement.

If you do not think that a family-based arrangement will work, you can make an application to the CSA. To receive child maintenance via the CSA, you would need to be in receipt of Child Benefit. The CSA offer two schemes: Direct Pay and Collect and Pay. Direct Pay is where the CSA will calculate an amount to be paid then you and your daughter's mother can arrange the payment method. Collect and Pay is where the paying parent pays child maintenance to the CSA, who then pass it on to the receiving parent. If you decide to use this scheme, as the paying parent, your daughter's mother's responsibility to pay will be around the point where the CSA contacts her. If you would like further information about using the CSA, you may wish to view their website at http://www.gov.uk/child-maintenance.

If the CSA is not for you, another option that you may wish to consider a Consent Order, which is an official ruling made by a court. To arrange a Consent Order, both parents need to agree how much child maintenance will be paid and how often before going to court.

For more information about family-based arrangements and to access our useful tools, forms and guides online, you can visit our website at http://www.cmoptions.org. Alternatively, you can call us free on 0800 988 0988 (free from a landline) between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday or 9am and 4pm on Saturday.

I hope this helps.

William