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Hi.
I already pay maintenance (£300) and have done for 8 years.
Now my ex has had another child with someone else and is trying to ask for more money.
I am worried she wants me to pay for this new child. I am about to have a huge wage increase and worried that if she goes to csa she will be entitled to more, at the moment are agrement is voluntary.
Is there away to reduce the way csa calculate
Hi there
Have you used the CMS calculator to find out what you might be expected to pay? Here's a link
www.gov.uk/calculate-your-child-maintenance
There's a similar thread currently, If you pay into a pension you can increase the amount you currently pay, or start a pension fund if you haven't done so. This will reduce the amount of income the CMS will use in their calculation. Here's a link to the thread
https://www.dad.info/forum/child-maintenance/50216-pay-rises
Thanks for fast response I will run the calculations and see. 🙂
Put a load of money in your pension
Hello Ironhorse
From what you have mentioned, it sounds as though you currently have a family-based arrangement in place. As this type of agreement is not legally binding, there are no set rules to follow. With this in mind, it is entirely down to you and the other parent to agree on the amount that is paid.
In order to gain an estimation following the Government’s guidelines of the amount you may be obliged to pay, there is an Online calculator on the Child Maintenance Options website, http://www.cmoptions.org, along with a wider range of tools and guides to help you renegotiate with the other parent.
If you wish to follow the Government’s guidelines when working out your payments, if an application was made to the Child Maintenance Service (the Government’s statutory maintenance service), they would calculate child maintenance based on a percentage of your gross taxable income, which is any taxable income you receive, before tax and national insurance is deducted, but after any pension contributions.
You can find out further information on how the Child Maintenance Service calculate child maintenance in their "How we work out child maintenance" guide. The link is https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/325219/how-we-work-out-child-maintenance.pdf.
For a more personalised response, you may wish to contact Child Maintenance Options directly using the website provided for them above.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have a website, 'Sorting out Separation'. It aims to make it much easier for separating and separated parents (and childless couples) to find the support they need, when and where they need it, and encourages them to collaborate on a range of issues. The link is https://www.sortingoutseparation.org.uk/.
Regards
William
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