[Solved] Private arrangement broken down

They will only usually backdate to the moment she called them. Also if it's recent, it's now CMS not CSA.

Have you done your own calculation?

What are your weekly earnings and what were you paying? Do you have your child overnight at all, and do you have any other kids living with you?

http://www.cmoptions.org/en/calculator/

This will tell you how much you should be paying. Depending on if the calculator indicates you should be paying more, it might be worth giving CMO a call to ask about whether she can claim backdated payments on a family based arrangement.

As a rough guide, it's usually 12% for 1 child or 16% for 2 🙂

Hi Mark

Please don't worry, your ex i would think is playing with your mind because even if she opens up a case with CMS it is only backdated to when the case is opened and you will get a letter saying when you are financially responsible for paying for your children (if she opens up a case) as long as you explain to CMS that you are happy to pay for your children, it is based on 12% of your GROSS ANNUAL PAY but as 1626 said use the calculator to find out roughly what you should be paying.

My advice would be to ring CMS and open up a case yourself then the amount is set in stone and your ex loses that power to throw them at your face at any opportunity which i must admit feels so good............less power for her!!!

They take into consideration if you pay into a Pension and also you can apply for a Travel Variation depending on how far you have to travel to see your kids, its not a lot but everything helps.

Private Message me for more information as i opened up a case myself back in March so i know most of what is required, hope this helps.

thank you for replying back i worry about paying the arrears back in one go

Hello mark29

If your ex applies to the Child Maintenance Service, your responsibility to pay will start from around the time that they contact you and there will be no back-dated payments.

There is a calculator on the Child Maintenance Options website, http://www.cmoptions.org, which will give you an indication of the amount that the Government would consider to be reasonable for you to pay.

There are also lots of tools and leaflets on the website which are designed to help you set up or renegotiate your family-based arrangement and also information about the different ways that maintenance can be arranged.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have a web application, ‘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 http://www.dad.info/divorce-and-separation/sorting-out-separation.

Regards

William