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Original poster

Child Maintenance-Should fathers on benefits pay more?

214 replies

CalmGreenWasp · 11/08/2026 09:19

My ExP owns his home outright, receives in excess of £1,200/month in disability benefits and works cash in hand. His only outgoings are food and utility bills for himself. Is it fair that he only pays £7.00/week maintenance for our DD10? For context, I am a lone parent and own a mortgaged home. I slightly exceed the threshold for universal credit. My disposable household income after mortgage and bills equates to half his, but with two people to support. Is the system broke? Should disposable income be considered by CMS when paying parent is in receipt of benefits?

OP posts:
sittingonabeach · 11/08/2026 17:16

XenoBitch · 11/08/2026 17:14

How does OP know it is cash in hand?

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If it was taxed income then he would pay more than flat rate of CMS

XenoBitch · 11/08/2026 17:15

fiftyfiftyfifty · 11/08/2026 17:14

Most people on benefits can certainly spare more than £7 a week since most of them smoke and drink!!

🙄

Original poster
CalmGreenWasp · 11/08/2026 17:14

He hasn’t set eyes on her in six years and to answer a previous poster, his surplus income goes up his nose at the weekends

OP posts:
XenoBitch · 11/08/2026 17:14

sittingonabeach · 11/08/2026 17:13

I struggle to see what benefits you need for MH if you can work 9-5, what would the benefits be paying for. It’s pretty obvious he’s playing the system.

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How does OP know it is cash in hand?

fiftyfiftyfifty · 11/08/2026 17:14

Most people on benefits can certainly spare more than £7 a week since most of them smoke and drink!!

sittingonabeach · 11/08/2026 17:13

XenoBitch · 11/08/2026 17:10

PIP is nothing to do with work. And even on ESA/UC, you can work.

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I struggle to see what benefits you need for MH if you can work 9-5, what would the benefits be paying for. It’s pretty obvious he’s playing the system.

XenoBitch · 11/08/2026 17:13

BadSkiingMum · 11/08/2026 17:10

I have always thought that grown-up children should be able to sue absent parents for the unpaid maintenance that they did not receive in childhood.

The whole system seems to be a disgrace and it receives surprisingly little media attention.

Why? CMS payments are not given to children it is given to the parent looking after them. Children are not out of pocket when child maintenance is not paid... their parent is.

fiftyfiftyfifty · 11/08/2026 17:13

BIossomtoes · 11/08/2026 17:08

Make up your mind, if living on benefits is supposed to be hard - and it is - how can someone with less than enough to live on afford to pay more?

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“Should be hard” try reading it again!

MaggiesShadow · 11/08/2026 17:12

Give him more custody. Let him do school runs etc and foot the bill for keeping DD fed and clothed in the week. You won't get more money but you'll spend less and he'll see that the cost of raising a child is more than £7 a week!

BadSkiingMum · 11/08/2026 17:10

I have always thought that grown-up children should be able to sue absent parents for the unpaid maintenance that they did not receive in childhood.

The whole system seems to be a disgrace and it receives surprisingly little media attention.

dancehysterical22 · 11/08/2026 17:10

CalmGreenWasp · 11/08/2026 16:19

Another thing that does bother me is that he could earn 70k plus, through the books, but if he receives any form of benefit eg low rate care component for PIP, he would still only have to pay £7/wk. A benefit entitlement letter seems to be a get out of jail free card..

That isn’t true.

XenoBitch · 11/08/2026 17:10

sittingonabeach · 11/08/2026 17:08

But if he is claiming because he can’t work then he is claiming fraudulently

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PIP is nothing to do with work. And even on ESA/UC, you can work.

BIossomtoes · 11/08/2026 17:08

fiftyfiftyfifty · 11/08/2026 17:03

Of course those on benefits can afford to pay more, these comments are laughable so many women defending men paying pittance, yes they can afford more than £7 a week on benefits and if they can’t how about getting a bloody job!! Being on benefits should be hard not easy so if he can’t afford £7 it will force him into getting a job!

Make up your mind, if living on benefits is supposed to be hard - and it is - how can someone with less than enough to live on afford to pay more?

sittingonabeach · 11/08/2026 17:08

x2boys · 11/08/2026 17:02

PiP is non means tested so even a millionaire could claim it if entitled

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But if he is claiming because he can’t work then he is claiming fraudulently

Boreded · 11/08/2026 17:07

There are two things here…benefits aren’t supposed to be high enough that you have tonnes spare so can pay child support, they’re meant to be so that you don’t die of starvation or go homeless, literally they are to keep you going until you can get a job (disabilities aside obviously).

The cash in hand work is the actual problem, too many scummy men are pocketing their earnings and not paying the right amount for their children, or in tax. It will be a tough one to ever catch him out though, they always seem to get away with it

sittingonabeach · 11/08/2026 17:07

Report him to HMRC and DWP, if he is working 9-5. His lifestyle must be very different to what it should be just on benefits

fiftyfiftyfifty · 11/08/2026 17:03

Of course those on benefits can afford to pay more, these comments are laughable so many women defending men paying pittance, yes they can afford more than £7 a week on benefits and if they can’t how about getting a bloody job!! Being on benefits should be hard not easy so if he can’t afford £7 it will force him into getting a job!

x2boys · 11/08/2026 17:02

CalmGreenWasp · 11/08/2026 16:33

My understanding is the £7 flat rate is triggered automatically if your are in receipt of any qualifying benefits eg universal credit, pip, state pension, regardless of income- but I might be wrong

PiP is non means tested so even a millionaire could claim it if entitled

x2boys · 11/08/2026 17:00

CalmGreenWasp · 11/08/2026 16:19

Another thing that does bother me is that he could earn 70k plus, through the books, but if he receives any form of benefit eg low rate care component for PIP, he would still only have to pay £7/wk. A benefit entitlement letter seems to be a get out of jail free card..

Pretty sure thsts not true as PIP is non means tested.

XenoBitch · 11/08/2026 16:54

OnlyMabelInTheBuilding · 11/08/2026 16:53

The issue is he shouldn’t be on benefits as he can clearly work.

Not sure how as MN always tells us there is no benefit fraud….

We’re all being rinsed by this man.

Edited
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You can work and be on benefits. PIP is not an out of work benefit, and even people on LCW/LCWRA/ESA are allowed to work if their job does not contradict the reason they are on LCW/LCWRA/ESA.

Sweetpeasaremadeforbees · 11/08/2026 16:54

Maverickess · 11/08/2026 16:46

Or maybe he doesn't go on to have the next family if he can't afford both?

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Yes maybe it would make other women think twice before choosing to procreate with these princes.

Original poster
CalmGreenWasp · 11/08/2026 16:54

There is no second family in my situation..I could atleast rationalise him paying virtually nothing for our daughter if there were other children involved, but no, he just doesn’t want to pay anything for his only child..

OP posts:
OnlyMabelInTheBuilding · 11/08/2026 16:53

DoAWheelie · 11/08/2026 16:51

The issue here is the cash in hand fraud. Benefits are already bare minimum and taking more would leave people unable to eat.

It only feels unfair as he is committing fraud, your "solution" is only going to hurt those struggling not those who are playing the system.

The issue is he shouldn’t be on benefits as he can clearly work.

Not sure how as MN always tells us there is no benefit fraud….

We’re all being rinsed by this man.

DoAWheelie · 11/08/2026 16:51

The issue here is the cash in hand fraud. Benefits are already bare minimum and taking more would leave people unable to eat.

It only feels unfair as he is committing fraud, your "solution" is only going to hurt those struggling not those who are playing the system.

Maverickess · 11/08/2026 16:46

SerendipityJane · 11/08/2026 15:59

So the children of the next family end up suffering ?

And you can't get blood out of a stone.

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Or maybe he doesn't go on to have the next family if he can't afford both?

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