Child Maintenance

[CheesusWept]

I wonder if anyone is able to give me a bit of advice.

DD is 13 - dad and I split up when she was only a few months old. He hasn’t seen her in over 7 years.

I made a claim a few years back through Child Maintenance Options (think it was the old name at the time) because he was paying nothing.
Initially CMO used to take the money from him and pass to me and we both had to pay a % of this.

Ex then just started paying me directly and I never made a fuss about it, as long as I was receiving it. We don’t talk.
He was out of work for about 5 months last year so I didn’t receive a penny. He started working again in Sept and he paid maintenance then - a figure that he’d come up with.

My annual review is done in July,
My understanding is that the annual review is for the previous year - so July 2023 to July 2024?
The figure the CMO came out with in the annual review was less than what he’s paying now but I just figured that that was because it was taking into account those months where no income would’ve been showing. I expected him to continue paying what he has.

This month he has paid the CMO figure - £100 a month less.

Before I raise it with the CMO, does anyone know if it’s based on previous years’ income and if CMO will reassess bearing in mind that he was out of work for a few months last year? My understanding is that they just get a figure from HMRC so they’ll think his wage is lower based on the income because of those missing 5 months?

I know my ex will go mad - he’s not the type of person who I can discuss money (or anything with) so I want to be sure before I ‘rock’ the boat.

Sorry this was so long winded!

The annual review I believe is based off of the previous tax year if no other information is given.

The paying parent could update that though if they wanted to, or if it became apparent (if paid PAYE) that their income was higher monthly now.

Thanks for your response.
I know that he will absolutely not update it willingly.
I’ll try to speak to CMO - £100 less a month is a huge amount to me and DD.

You can try to speak to them but be prepared for the fact they can only go from the information they have, so it may be that until the following tax year if it is higher than it can be increased.

Unfortunately I think you'll have to accept that is this year's amount. It sucks he won't up it now he has a job but there we go. He's crap.

Just wanted to update that yesterday I went on their online site and clicked on the ‘report a change’ section and clicked on ‘the income change’ part.
I didn’t expect to hear anything, or if I did hear anything, I expected it to be that the figures were based on previous tax year so I’d have to wait until next year’s annual review.

This morning I’ve received a text and a message online to say that my case has been reviewed and there’s a new payment plan. He will now be expected to pay an extra £25.40 per week, which is pretty much the £100 that he stopped paying.

I can’t believe they’ve looked at it so quickly, but I also can’t believe that he would’ve raised it and notified them of the increased income, otherwise he would surely just have paid the additional 100 this month, knowing it was owed based on his income.

Anyway, I’m feeling mightily relieved just now (and totally surprised that CMO have done a good job!)