Child support . Truthful earnings ?

[Userchange44]

Is it possible for my ex to liar about his earnings?

For the past 9 years he's always told me he earns 50k a year. A few months ago he told me his company was in trouble and his hours have been cut . But then I started getting mixed messages and thought maybe he was not be truthful. So I contacted child support.

He has told them he gets £34,742.97 a year . But i have heard they work it out via HMRC . So does that mean it's not possible for him to liar?

I know earnings can change etc. But I feel suspicious because he works for his family business. I was not sure if they can mess with his true hours or something so he doesn't have to pay as much.

Just edit to say he works 40hrs a week incase that matters ?

The system is broken and particularly self employed parents get away with murder.
They might also be putting a big amount into his pension.

You can ask that CM collects it via his payroll but then there is a surcharge on him of 20% which I disagree with.

I did read that bit i don't fully understand it. It said the paying parent pays 20% and the receiving parents pays 4% . But that makes no difference to the amount he's meant to pay though

It means that if his child maintenance is 100 pounds, he pays 120. The government keeps 24 quid and you get 96.

If he works for the family firm it's easy for them to keep some of his money back and pay it to him at a later date.

I'm not really sure what's to gain by doing that ? Possibly means he can't mess about? Although he didn't mess about for 9 years .

Also it says 1st payment to due on 1st April. Why do i have to wait that long.

This is what I was worried about. I just wounder if there's a way to find out

CMS will believe whatever he tells them so has the opportunity to lie.
If you don’t agree with his declaration of earnings they can investigate the income he’s declared to HMRC. As he’s working for the family business this could also be a lie.
The 20% and 4% charges are admin charges - they would prefer direct payments between parents…the high 20% is to encourage this.

I can’t answer that for you. The collection facility is meant for people who either don’t pay or lie I guess.

No there isn't. That's why I said it was easy for them to do it.

Has he stopped paying all together or is he just trying to reduce the amount?

Men who lie about how much they earn to either dodge or not pay their fair share are scum in my eyes!! Ask CMS to investigate in to his unearned income. My friend did this and her ex was hiding money that way.
It's best to do the collect and pay because that way if he doesn't pay they will start to take further action

The thing is though he could be telling the truth. I don't have any proof or evidence. Its just he's always told me verbally he earns 50k a year .

A few months ago he told me the business was having problems and his hours went from 40hrs a week to working monday to thursday 8am -12pm. So he half the money he was paying for our 2 children. He used to give me 500 a month and cut it to 250.

There were little things that made me feel suspicious. He has the boys every other weekend Friday till Sunday . There was a couple of times the kids were of school on the Friday. Ex always wants to try miss the rush hour traffic. So I said about him getting the boys slightly early so he can miss the traffic... he replied with he finishes at 4pm so will be with me around 4.40 . And he always turns up in his work van . Which he's not allowed to use for social reasons. He can pick the kids up in the van on his,way home. But he can't take the van home park it then use ut later to collect the kids.

He also had a discussion with his family members about my income. And his adult daughter made comments about its alot of money for someone who does not earn it . ( they got the amount wrong) then after that ex hours are cut and he half's the money for the kids .

Then more recently he tells my teenager he works 40hrs a week . That's when I went to child support.

So because of all that I feel suspicious. But I could he totally wrong

I could be wrong though.

I called child maintenance to ask them basically what i asked here. They said that the figures were from HMRC 2024 so quite recent.

They said that if I think his family may not be completely honest about his earnings. I would have to contact HMRC .

He doesn't have to start paying till 1st April .