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Hi my son has just turned 18 and lives in Northern Ireland with his mum he is currently doing a btech level 3 extended diploma in IT , do I still have to pay maintenance I'm on ESA national insurance credits only no actual money in bank and receive PIP due to being disabled I'm confused as to Wether I carry on paying as he's 18 we have a private agreement where I pay 15 pound per fortnight
Hello Bogboy
Just to make you aware, child maintenance is generally paid until a child reaches 16 years old, or until they reach 20 years old if they are in full-time, non-advanced education. Full-time education is usually an average of 12 hours or more per week of classroom study and non-advanced education is up to and including A-level equivalent. As a general rule maintenance is expected to be paid while ever the child is eligible for Child Benefit.
You can find more information about when child maintenance stops on Gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/when-child-maintenance-payments-stop.
You’ve indicated that your current arrangement is agreed privately via a family-based arrangement. This means both you and your son’s mum have already agreed to set up and manage your maintenance between yourselves, without the involvement of the Government or legal system. In regards to your question around when your maintenance payment should stop, this would be something both you and your son’s mum would need agree between yourselves.
There are some tools and guides on Child maintenance Options website at http://www.cmoptions.org/en/toolbox/index.asp that may be able to you. One of these is the online calculator which can give you an approximate amount of maintenance that would be expected along the Government guidelines.
For more information on the different ways to set up child maintenance and for a more personalised service, you can visit the Child Maintenance Options website.
The DWP have a sorting out separation website that you may find useful. It offers help and support to separating and separated families. The link is: https://www.sortingoutseparation.org.uk/.
Regards
William
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