I know this isn't my business but it is annoying me so much.
Ex (divorced 10 years ago) is low paid with various health conditions (being low paid predates these) and has never financially supported the dc. He is on some kind of benefits sometimes - not sure of details but I do have claim open and often have letters to say he has £0 to pay due to being on benefits. However, at the moment he is meant to be paying £80 per month for one remaining under 18 child and some of his arrears - obviously he isn't paying it. He lives nearby and was in rented until a few years ago when he inherited about £200k and bought a house outright. His family and most of his friends live in a city about 90mins away by train - ex can't drive for medical reasons.
He has told dc2 that when they start uni next year he will be moving back to his city. Presumably the house will be sold but I'm not sure that he will buy again and it's likely he will move in with family. He has owned the house for around 5 years. It's an older property and he has no cash to spend on it - it's not what you'd call well-presented, to put it politely. So the two transactions in a short space of time, along with 0 investment in the house and the state of the market now will mean he will surely lose quite a bit of his original lump-sum. It was always his plan to move once the dc started uni as his life mainly is in the other city. However, they have only stayed at his 4 nights per fortnight and have often complained about that - don't know if he knows that though. It's also not unusual for him to cancel some of the contact he does have - with that in mind, probably averages out to 1or 2 nights per week over a year.
Presumably, if he sells the house and moves in with family he will lose benefits and burn through the money - he is incredibly irresponsible financially. It just seems such a waste. I feel like buying the house was such a poor decision and a waste and feel like he should have just gifted the money to the dc for them to invest. I wish he could do that now. At least some of his benefits must be non-means tested so could he do that? That money is quite likely to be the only money from that side of the family the dc ever get, and they haven't been supported by their dad so I feel like they should have it, but it's all just going to be wasted.
I know it's nothing to do with me but I am so tired of being the only one providing anything for the dc ever and this is yet another stupid and wasteful decision from him.