[Solved] When does Child Benefit stop

hi,

yes from what i see online, HNC/HND are degree level courses and classed as advanced education. I have a feeling now that if you stop maintenance payments, your Ex will make a claim with CMS. then you will probably be stuck with paying maintenance till the child is 20. they seem very useless when it comes to stopping payments over education courses. maybe you should just carry on paying until her 18th birthday to avoid drama and stress for yourself.

also child support laws state that you have to pay maintenance whether you see the child or not.

Thanks,

Why would they make me pay till she is 20 when she is doing a course that is not on the government website list.
I have paid for the past 16 years no problem I just don't want my money going to her mum if she isn't lawfully entitled to it. I can't even get a photo so I could walk past my daughter in the street and not know.

A few more months isn't going to make much difference as she is 18 in June, even then I have no issue still dropping cash to my daughter after this.

I would give Child Maintenance Options a call - I would think that if she is doing a course that doesn't qualify for child maintenance, then I wouldn't think that CMS would pursue you for maintenance, in which case if she opened a case with CMS, she wouldn't get anywhere. Hopefully CMO will be able to be more clear on this.

Hello, I’ve read all the posts and still a little confused. My son is 16 in April, and is leaving school this year to start an apprenticeship. I pay her each month and plan on doing so until September this year. The agreement is between ourselves but we do have a Child Support case which we started with many moons ago. When he starts the apprenticeship do I still have to pay my ex until my son is 20? I know she’s just wanting money, and I would prefer to use it with my son so we can do more together (football games for example). Thanks in advance as I’m stuck on this.

I would give Child Maintenance Options a call in the first instance to see if they can clarify the position. Are you paying via CMS at the moment?

No, paying direct into his mums account. We originally set it up with CSA 15 odd years ago, but then agreed mutually between us when I got married to someone else. Been paying via bank transfer ever since.

If you are absolutely sure the CSA case is closed, you could potentially inform the mother that you are stopping paying - she would have to open a case with CMS, and your ex would have to prove that maintenance is actually due.

I'd still give CMO a call though.

Hi my daughter left school in may last year then enrolled in college but dropped out in sept last year now she is not in any education or work do I still have to pay ..thanks

Hi, My daughter is 18 and will finish college in July this year. Then she has now decided to do a BTEC HNC level 4 for 2 years which is not an approved course. Will I still need to pay maintenance? and will my ex-wife's child benefit stop? I just need an answer as I can see this leading to problems... Many thanks for any advice

I would check with CMS, but if this is advanced education, then you wouldn't be liable for child maintenance beyond September.

Many thanks for the info.. I am going to be fair a pay half of the maintenance for 2 years.... Thanks once again

That does seem fair - I must admit, the system is flawed in that respect, in that if a child is still living at home during education, then the parent with care still has expenses such as food, bills etc.