Hi All
Would appreciate your advice on this.
I pay CM payments via CMS to an ex partner (AA) for my child (aa). This is in place for some time. We were on good terms but this has deteriorated. Communication is poor to non-existent and we're doing mediation to try to improve things.
I now have a newer ex partner (BB) who is pregnant and due to deliver in the summer - early July. We are on good terms and have agreed an informal arrangement for child maintenance payments for the new child (bb) when here in line with the online CMS calculator.
The CMS calculator indicates that overall my CMS payments will be more and I'm fine with this in terms of affordability. It does indicate that as part of this my existing payment to AA for aa will reduce.
My questions are:
1. Do i inform CMS?
2. How and when?
3. Will they require any evidence of my informal arrangement with BB? What?
4. BB does not want CMS involved and does not want to share her details with them (previous poor experiences). Is that possible?
BB does not want AA to know she is pregnant and due in the summer. AA is erratic and aggressive at times so i understand this.
5. Can CMS reduce AAs payment (if they agree thats whats required) without giving AA a specific reason?
Many thanks in advance
C
Hi, I will advise based on a friends experience....
1. Do i inform CMS?
A. Yes you should, otherwise your payments will not drop.
2. How and when?
A. As soon as the second child is born in the summer. I would call and follow up with a letter.
3. Will they require any evidence of my informal arrangement with BB? What?
A. They will require evidence that the child exists. When my friend had this, they used child benefit to search for the second child. ALl he had to do with give the childs name and DOB. I would encourage you to get your new ex partner to register for child benefit ASAP.
4. BB does not want CMS involved and does not want to share her details with them (previous poor experiences). Is that possible?
A. Yes, providing the above is still the same. With the old CMS the second parent had to raise a case.
BB does not want AA to know she is pregnant and due in the summer. AA is erratic and aggressive at times so i understand this.
There is no need for AA to know.
5. Can CMS reduce AAs payment (if they agree thats whats required) without giving AA a specific reason?
A. I am not sure what they will tell AA, I assume they will tell her that you have a second child.
If you are unsure, give the CMS a call. Basically nothing can be done until the new child is born, but it would be advantageous for you to get up to speed with the process so you don't fall foul of any rules.