CSA and travel expenses

[lifeonthemotorway]

I have overnight contact every other weekend (Friday evening to sunday Evening) with my 2 children. They stay with me every Friday and Saturday night when it is my weekend.

My children live 130 miles away and every contact weekend I drive 520 miles (130 x 4). My ex drives but it has always been that I do the driving Friday and Sunday.

I am not bothered about the driving, gives me a couple of hours quiet time with my kids where we can discuss their week and have a good chat without other distractions.

Someone told me yesterday that I can get a reduction in CSA for travelling expenses. Is this true? If so how is it calculated?

[Collaborate]

You would apply for a variation. Contact costs would be a special expense. It would have to be over £15 per week for fuel/transport costs. It would serve to reduce your income that goes into the calculation.

Even if your fuel costs are £30 a week that will have little effect on the assessment. 20% of that is only £6, and that might not be enough to affect the result. changes have to make at least £10 a week difference before they will alter the assessment. This discourages frivilous applications.

[lifeonthemotorway]

Thank you very much, will get my calculator out!

[lifeonthemotorway]

Is there a rate per mile that they discount it at? I have checked on the variations screen on their website and cannot see it.

I have a bit of a big car and it seems unfair to remove a lot of petrol cost due to my personal choice of car?

Basically without holidays, birthdays and other ad hoc trips, I do 13,500 miles a year for contact, so depending on how much they allow per mile would decide if it is worth bothering.

[Collaborate]

I'd imagine it would be based on your MPG rather than some notional cost to include depreciation, but I simply can't confirm wither way.