to believe there has to be a better way?? (wrt CSA)

[littlemisssarcastic]

I am having no joy with the CSA, XP is a 'job hopper'.
By the time the CSA have his income details (from HMRC which takes approx 12 weeks) XP has moved on again to yet another job.
XP begrudges DD a single penny and has in fact stolen every penny she has ever been given as a gift. He is the definition of 'non compliant parent imo.

After yet another futile conversation with CSA today, where they now want me to try direct payments from XP instead of going through the CSA, I am wondering whether there is a better way of getting money from unco operative NRP's to RP's which may be more successful than the CSA. I am not aware of any such system apart from CSA now, but is there for instance any reason why CSA can't be used to ascertain who the NRP is (if they deny they are the parent) and once it is established who the NRP is, the whole issue of collecting child maintenance is passed onto HMRC who then collect maintenance payments alongside income tax and distribute to RP's?

Is this a possibility?

It seems to me that the CSA is a failure for many RP's and a huge amount of money is pumped into it with very few satisfactory results, or is that just me?

Maybe someone on here should start a campaign to get this highly prioritised and maybe something could be done? Who is in charge of the CSA? And what can us PWC actually do to change this system?

So if a NRP got made redundant, not only would their new family lose the NRPs salary, but they would also lose 15,20 or 25% of their new partner's salary?

And also, if the CSA are changing, by charging the RP for their 'services' why not charge the NRP?
This really has got my goat tbh and something really needs to be done, i've just had a quick read of csahell.com and what a fucking joke!

youllbewaiting: Why not? If the RP didn't pay for food etc then the DC's would probably be taken into care would they not?

Shouldn't the RPs new partners salary come into the equation somewhere then?

Yes too right they should like my DH had to for my DD when her father stopped paying. I had no hesitation in contacting the CSA and having his CM taken from their joint TC award and would do it again. Luckily for me he is now paying direct for the time being.

i'm with you barry, my new partner pays for my children while XH hasnt paid anything (and will continue doing so when XH starts paying his small amount) so why should XH's new woman (who had an affair with him while we are married) pay for nothing towards the children she took on when she got in a relationship with a man who had children??

Exactly Stacey. If you get involved with someone who has kids it's inevitable (sp?) really isn't it?

And if your new partner has children from a previous relationship and loses his job you would be liable to pay maintenance for his children?

Out of your children's child benefit and tax credits?

Personally I think it would be so complicated.

no i would pay for it out of my wages, not my childrens child benefit and tax credits.

it may be complicated but what they try to achieve right now is complicated and doesnt work

"no i would pay for it out of my wages, not my childrens child benefit and tax credits"

Really? You split all you money from different sources into different pots to pay for stuff

i do acctually ctc goes towards rent which dp pays so i give it to him, cb stays in the account that pays the council tax and my wages go between bills and stuff for the dc's

But my point is, each pot's expenditure is not directly related to it's purpose. And imo that would be impossible in any household. So, for example, you're saying cb pays for council tax. So actually it's still just being used for generally family expenditure, regardless of where you physically lodge the cash into.

put like that yes, my 'childrens' income would go to pay for dp's previous children (if he had had any) but that would have been my choice to make having started a relationship with a man who had children he/we as a couple should have to jointly provide for.

And what if you couldn't afford it because your husband lost his job. Unlike the PWC of the children, the state would be providing you with no help to raise them, despite the loss of income. Theory is one thing, but reality is another.

I paid my dsd's maintenance when xh wasn't earning. I did it for about 3 years. I considered it a "household expense".

What if the RP is still a lone parent. Yes, I agree that it is unfair that an RP could marry someone rich, and still expect maintenance from the NRP - but surely it is the FATHER's job to provide for his DC from his first relationship - NOT the RP's partner. HOWEVER - just had a good idea as an addendum to make it fair.

NRP pays maintenance to RP, UNLESS RP gets a new partner that earns mega-tons AND the RP becomes a SAHM.

So if the RP is a SAHM with dc OVER 5yo (FROM HER FIRST RELATIONSHIP - any with her new partner don't count in this calculation, because it is their choice for RP to become a SAHM) AND has a mega-rich new partner, then AND ONLY THEN does the NRP get out of paying maintenance, but what is the definition of mega-rich?

SO If RP has a 3yo and a 6yo from her first relationship, and gets a rich new partner, NRP is still liable for maintenance until the 3yo turns 5yo. If she has a dc with her new partner and becomes a SAHM for THAT child, she no longer gets maintenance from the NRP? But if the RP goes out to work, no matter how low her wages - the NRP is THEN still liable to pay maintenance EVEN if her new partner is mega-rich. That way it is EXACTLY the same for RP's and NRP's new families...

Oh - and BTW - I only get £12.50 a week for DD's maintenance, £1.36 a week (until January) for DS1's maintenance, and £55.00 a week for DS2 AND DS3's maintenance. So for 4 dc I get a sum total of £68.86 a week maintenance - which is only JUST at the level of Income Support - and isn't always guaranteed, or on time. (Yet another failing of the CSA - getting money from NRP's and taking FAR far far too long to pay it out to the RP). I am unable to work as my DD has asd and I cannot get a childminder willing to look after a 13yo with asd, that cannot be left alone in the house. So if I did not get Income Support - I would be fucking screwed! (As I don't get DLA for my OWN disability OR DD's - we don't qualify any more, thanks, ATOSsers)

What about split the childcare 50-50 and noone pays anything?

Doesn't always work - what if one household qualifies for the childcare element of CTC based on, say, an LP RP working min wage, but the other household doesn't qualify for the childcare element, or in fact ANY TC's, based on, say the NRP in an average paid job AND the NRP's new partner in an average paid job? Then the RP wouldn't be ABLE to pay for childcare when she had the dc so she wouldn't be able to work, if they based the claim on a 50-50 split in childcare.

And besides - in practice, that doesn't always work - my Ex-P has refused to have our 9mo baby (DS3) overnight until he can drink from a bottle - which he is MEDICALLY unable to do until he has an operation...and he also refuses to have our 7yo DS2 overnight more than once a FORTNIGHT. How would a 50-50 split work THERE??

I don't think it matters what the circumstances are and how well of a new partner might be. It's down to both parents to provide for the child according to their individual means.

UNLESS the RP decides to become a SAHM to dc from her NEW realtionship or the NRP decided to become a SAHD to dc from his NEW relationship - Fair's fair!

In the first situation, the RP is not financially providing for her dc from her OLD relationship, in the second situation, the NRP is not financially providing for his dc from his OLD relationship.

OK, in my case, that rule would be a bit of a fucker, as I can't work due to my DD - wonder how that would work?

Would DS1's dad still have to pay maintenance even though it's not HIS dc that is the reason that his RP (me) cannot work?

Would DS2 & DS3's dad still have to pay maintenance even though it is not HIS dc that is the reason that his RP (me) cannot work?

Or is that all a moot point because I am an LP? Or a moot point because my Neurologist will only EVER sign me as fit for Part-time work, therefore I will NEVER earn a Full-time wage?

AFAIC, XP and I chose to have DD. Our relationship ended, but the relationship he has with his daughter did not fail. We should both support DD until she is old enough to support herself (within reason of course).
If I got married tomorrow to a wealthy man, imo that would in no way detract from XP's obligation towards DD. He would still be her father and she would still be his daughter. Their relationship should not change because my relationship status has changed and that includes financial support as well as other forms of support.
If a NRP and their new partner decide the NRP will not work, then it is irrelevant to me where the NRP finds the money to support his children from a previous relationship, but find it he must.
They are his children and he must support them.