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Hi all,
apologies if this has already been covered.
I currently pay roughly £250 child maintenance in accordance with the child maintenance calculator. My son's mother is now returning to work in the next week or two and child care has been organised for 2 days a week. She is requesting/suggesting that I pay half of the child care costs (roughly another £125 per month).
Is this acceptable? Is this not what she gets maintenance, child benefits, tax credits, etc for?
Thanks
If you are paying according to the CSA calculator, then that covers all her expenses, including nursery care. You are not obliged to pay any extra unless you wish to do so.
My daughter has returned to work and she gets about two thirds of the child care costs paid for by the government.
Hi thetimekeeper,
My name is William a Child Maintenance Options consultant. Family-based arrangements are agreements between you and your son's mother about who will provide what for your son. They do not have to be just about exchanging money, for example you buying your son clothes or paying for school trips could count. Family-based arrangements are not legally enforceable, but they are flexible to meet the needs of you as parents and your son. With this in mind you can decide and agree if the child care costs that have been suggested are part of the amount you are already paying.
If you would like to follow the guidelines of the Child Support Agency (CSA) then the child maintenance they calculate is to cover the everyday living costs of a child. Once an assessment has been made then the paying parent is legally responsible to pay the amount the CSA has calculated. Anything more than this is at the paying parent's discretion and will not count towards maintenance.
Many thanks for the responses - very helpful.
Nannyjane - is this two-thirds of childcare costs a typical amount?
I assume it will depend upon amount earned by the Mother. I'd estimate that when she returns to work my son's mother will earn roughly £180 per week.
I would have said yes to that question, the benefits system applies the same rules to everyone nationally to calculate entitlements.
My daughter has gone back to work part time and does the minimum 16hrs p.w. to qualify for working families tax credits, she still gets some help with her rental costs and council tax, and still gets child benefit and child s tax credits, plus help with childcare costs. I've just telephoned her to clarify and she gets 70% of her childcare costs paid.
Obviously the higher your ex's salary the less she would receive, but £180 p.w. is considered a low wage and therefore I would assume she would be entitled.
The Citizens Advice Bureau or the governments Job Centre Plus website might help clarify this.
I dont understand it when people say they are not better off working, my daughter most definately is!
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