Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Reporting Ex to HMRC, DWP and Child Maintenance?

94 replies

ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 18:26

2 DC. Just got Child Maintenance’s annual assessment - they are saying ex only needs to pay £7 per week as he’s in receipt of benefits.

I have proof that they are self-employed (Personal Trainer) and have been for some time. The proof includes his own website which advertises weekly classes, lists his phone number / email address and even has a photo of him! Approximately half of the classes he does are online and people book through an online system, also paying him online… so it’s not a case of him going completely cash in hand to avoid declaring it or it going into a bank account.

I don’t know how he’s getting away with it, unless he is just blatantly lying to HMRC and Child Maintenance or the money is going into someone else’s account.

WIBU to report him to everyone and everything? I can easily forward his website and other advertisements to them. Has anyone at all had any success in getting someone self-employed to pay a reasonable amount or do we always get screwed over? Every thread I read seems to suggest if they are self-employed you have no chance!

OP posts:
LilyBunch25 · 24/02/2026 22:19

BaronessEllarawrosaurus · 24/02/2026 22:16

He may be earning more than £100 and still only be assessed at the flat rate. Its not his income but the fact he gets benefits that sets it to £7. The benefit entitlement overrides his income for assessment purposes.

Correct. Unpalatable but it is the way it is done.

LilyBunch25 · 24/02/2026 22:19

plentyofsunshine · 24/02/2026 18:41

Yes report him. It seems crazy that he's claiming benefits and advertising his business online. It might be that he is allowed to do some work and claim certain benefits but let HMRC worry about that. He might have massaged the figures to show he only receives minimum wage.

It isn't actually crazy- he could be self employed and claiming UC but will be required to submit monthly earnings and expenses. If the earnings aren't much above the minimum income floor his liability as well as his UC will be calculated on that.

Original poster
ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 22:18

BaronessEllarawrosaurus · 24/02/2026 22:16

He may be earning more than £100 and still only be assessed at the flat rate. Its not his income but the fact he gets benefits that sets it to £7. The benefit entitlement overrides his income for assessment purposes.

Eh? So someone can be earning hundreds but because they get benefits only pay £7? Someone did the calculator earlier and it said a higher amount?

OP posts:
Haveyouanyjam · 24/02/2026 22:17

BaronessEllarawrosaurus · 24/02/2026 22:16

He may be earning more than £100 and still only be assessed at the flat rate. Its not his income but the fact he gets benefits that sets it to £7. The benefit entitlement overrides his income for assessment purposes.

This

BaronessEllarawrosaurus · 24/02/2026 22:16

He may be earning more than £100 and still only be assessed at the flat rate. Its not his income but the fact he gets benefits that sets it to £7. The benefit entitlement overrides his income for assessment purposes.

Original poster
ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 22:05

ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 20:53

What happens if he does ever go legit and starts putting it through, which will show up with HMRC, does the CMS then recover the debt?

Show quote history

Anyone??

OP posts:
Original poster
ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 20:53

Jellybunny56 · 24/02/2026 20:41

The short answer unfortunately is no.

Feel free to report him to HMRC if you feel he is hiding income and provide any proof, and they should look into it, but the wheels turn very slowly and it’s not something that will be dealt with in even the next few months really.

They need to do a thorough investigation, that takes man power, time, resource, if they catch up with him then that info can be shared with CMS but no you can’t just provide screenshots to a judge or CMS. It needs to be reported through the proper fraud channels and could well take years to resolve- still worth doing, but results if any come will be a long time away.

Show quote history

What happens if he does ever go legit and starts putting it through, which will show up with HMRC, does the CMS then recover the debt?

OP posts:
Jellybunny56 · 24/02/2026 20:41

ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 20:33

I have screen shots etc showing his website and multiple social media posts on Instagram where he is advertising his business and showing busy classes he’s training. Can that not be submitted to CMS or put before a judge?

Show quote history

The short answer unfortunately is no.

Feel free to report him to HMRC if you feel he is hiding income and provide any proof, and they should look into it, but the wheels turn very slowly and it’s not something that will be dealt with in even the next few months really.

They need to do a thorough investigation, that takes man power, time, resource, if they catch up with him then that info can be shared with CMS but no you can’t just provide screenshots to a judge or CMS. It needs to be reported through the proper fraud channels and could well take years to resolve- still worth doing, but results if any come will be a long time away.

dadtoateen · 24/02/2026 20:38

ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 20:33

I have screen shots etc showing his website and multiple social media posts on Instagram where he is advertising his business and showing busy classes he’s training. Can that not be submitted to CMS or put before a judge?

Show quote history

That means nothing…. Of course he will appear on social media to be busy…
if you feel he is lying, then shop him

Original poster
ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 20:33

Odellio · 24/02/2026 20:08

Also had to deal with other parent not paying CMS and fraudulently claiming benefits. When you report for benefit fraud, I don’t believe you have any way of being updated about the case. We only found out it must have caught up with them because they suddenly came off benefits and got a job instead. When it comes to CMS though you’ll get nowhere, unless you have hard evidence of payslips etc they do jack about it.

I have screen shots etc showing his website and multiple social media posts on Instagram where he is advertising his business and showing busy classes he’s training. Can that not be submitted to CMS or put before a judge?

OP posts:
Original poster
ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 20:32

Rainbowchicken · 24/02/2026 20:20

Yes I am, he has arrears of around £7000 so far. I hope you have better luck. Definitely report though.

Show quote history

Can they take it from his bank or get an order against him? Have you done tribunal?

OP posts:
Rainbowchicken · 24/02/2026 20:20

ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 20:14

Can’t you just keep reporting him and get it taken off him as a debt? Even if he doesn’t pay, at least the debt will follow him.

Show quote history

Yes I am, he has arrears of around £7000 so far. I hope you have better luck. Definitely report though.

Original poster
ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 20:14

Rainbowchicken · 24/02/2026 19:48

CMS, HMRC and DWP. CMS put his payment up but he just never pays so... I still have nothing. It's very hard to make crap fathers pay when they are self employed and they don't want to support their children.

Show quote history

Can’t you just keep reporting him and get it taken off him as a debt? Even if he doesn’t pay, at least the debt will follow him.

OP posts:
Original poster
ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 20:13

TakeALookAtTheseSwatches · 24/02/2026 19:53

I've just had a quick look on the CMS calculator. If he was earning £100 a week he'd only have to pay the £7, it starts going up if he earns £125 a week (approx, I didn't try any amounts in between) so unless he's earning less than that (which is highly doubtful) then he's definitely committing fraud. Report him to everyone you can.

Thanks that’s super helpful, he’s clearly earning more than £100.

The CMS have said they can take the money from his benefits or his bank account if he doesn’t pay.

OP posts:
Odellio · 24/02/2026 20:08

Also had to deal with other parent not paying CMS and fraudulently claiming benefits. When you report for benefit fraud, I don’t believe you have any way of being updated about the case. We only found out it must have caught up with them because they suddenly came off benefits and got a job instead. When it comes to CMS though you’ll get nowhere, unless you have hard evidence of payslips etc they do jack about it.

TakeALookAtTheseSwatches · 24/02/2026 19:53

I've just had a quick look on the CMS calculator. If he was earning £100 a week he'd only have to pay the £7, it starts going up if he earns £125 a week (approx, I didn't try any amounts in between) so unless he's earning less than that (which is highly doubtful) then he's definitely committing fraud. Report him to everyone you can.

Rainbowchicken · 24/02/2026 19:48

ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 19:28

Who did you report him to? Did CMS actually do anything?

Show quote history

CMS, HMRC and DWP. CMS put his payment up but he just never pays so... I still have nothing. It's very hard to make crap fathers pay when they are self employed and they don't want to support their children.

Original poster
ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 19:48

OriginalUsername2 · 24/02/2026 19:45

Going by this, he’s not declaring his earnings at all.

Show quote history

That’s what I figured??

OP posts:
Rhubarbandcustardd · 24/02/2026 19:46

Report to whoever you need to to get the maintenance paid

OriginalUsername2 · 24/02/2026 19:45

ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 19:32

Surely even if he’s putting through a load of expenses though and paying himself very little, he’d still be paying more than £7? The assessment I received today said his only income is benefits.

Show quote history

Going by this, he’s not declaring his earnings at all.

ClickBeat · 24/02/2026 19:45

It's amazing how many men who previously earned a decent living suddenly plummet to below the breadline once they are separated

ClickBeat · 24/02/2026 19:42

Does he work through a company structure. He may be trying to be clever with dividends. For some stupid reason you have to ask CMS to review these

Yanbu to report him. I loathe men who do this and I loathe people that facilitate it

I no longer pay anyone in cash as my ex gets the majority of his income cash in hand now

dadtoateen · 24/02/2026 19:39

ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 19:17

Perhaps. He is charging £60 per private PT session and £25 per group session. You can hover over the group sessions and see how many people have booked, for example one of the sessions this week has 4 people booked onto it. So he’s not making pennies, it must be at the very minimum a couple hundred a week.

Show quote history

So you think he can live on a couple of hundred pound a week AND pay maintenance?

or have I missed something?

Original poster
ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 19:39

SlipperStar · 24/02/2026 19:37

You don't actually know how many classes he does in a week though

I have no idea what the breakdown would be but I think it's now just over £900 a month where you stop receiving anything, might even by over £1000

Show quote history

I guess the question is how much per week does someone have to earn before you have to pay more than £7?

OP posts:
SlipperStar · 24/02/2026 19:37

ChildMaintain · 24/02/2026 19:34

Surely you’d be liable for more than £7 though? And a couple hundred a week is being extremely conservative and assuming he is putting through tons of expenses.

Show quote history

You don't actually know how many classes he does in a week though

I have no idea what the breakdown would be but I think it's now just over £900 a month where you stop receiving anything, might even by over £1000