To think in certain cases Csa should be taken into account

[ChelleU]

This is mainly in regards to two people I know but it got me thinking about why Csa is not included as income when claiming benefits. Now I'm not dense, I realise that the main reason is for absent fathers who disappear or try and get out of paying. In these cases fair enough. But when there is doubt about whether or not the individuals involved are a still a couple then I think something needs to be done, and that they deduct the Csa off of the mother's/father's benefits.

A person who I classed as a friend (she no longer is) is, in my opinion cheating the system but she's played it clever. The father of her children who she's been in a relationship with for years now technically lives at his father's house. I say technically because whilst he may be registered on the electoral roll and leaves his belongings there he still sleeps at her house almost every night, they spend time together as a couple, and it's pretty much business as before.

Another person I know (dh cousin) has five children, refuses to work and keeps finding loopholes not to work ie claiming carer's allowance even though she doesn't do much carIng, spacing her kids out purposely so she can stay on income support. Now that she has split up with the father of her kids (genuinely split as far as I know) she still refuses to get a job because the amount in benefits she receives plus the very generous amount of Csa from the father of her kids means that she lives a very cushy lifestyle.

Aibu to think that in cases like these were it's questionable whether the individuals are still a couple, or were the person refuses to work even though they could, the Csa should count as income and be deducted from benefits directly or payments reduced over time.

Channel 5 is very good

I only know a lot about her because she was very blatantly open about her circumstances. She hasn't admitted to the set up they've created together as such but she's very clever and uses reverse psychology or something along those lines by moaning that it's hard being a single parent, constantly going on about how hard she finds it money wise etc when I know for a fact she isn't struggling. Her "ex" spends more time at her house now than he did when he was officially living there and she claims they're just staying friendly for the kids but it's all crap. She only works a few hours a week and is on a rubbish wage yet all of a sudden her kids are walking round in designer clothes, have gadgets worth hundreds of pounds etc and she can afford things she never could before. But saying that if I sent my dh to live at his parents house rent free and I got housing benefit to cover the cost of our house we'd be the same. Not a bad life having an entire wage as disposable income.

The first case sounds like a straightforward case of benefit fraud - nothing to do with CSA, and is captured by the existing rules.

The thing about CSA is that it's unreliable and can disappear at any moment. The vast majority of people using food banks are already there because they've had a short term change in circumstances which has not been immediately reflected in the benefits they recieve. Assuming CSA due as part of benefit calculations would send the queues at food banks round the block. Whenever the absent parent moves abroad, loses their job, gets sick or just decides he doesn't fancy paying that month (because he heard from his sister who heard from her mate that ex has got a new tattoo so she totally doesn't need the money) then the household finances would fall to pieces. Not to mention the rent and utility arrears. Honestly OP, do you work for Wonga? Because they'd be the only winners.

LOL at reverse psychology!

Do your hooves not interfere with your typing?

If you only work two days a week you are'nt a taxpayer OP so you can't be frothing over your tax paying for all of these feckless single Mothers, because clearly you don't pay any.

I would also assume you don't claim child benefit or working/child tax credits, or is it ok for you to receive money from the government because you work a few hours a week?

I'm also a single parent, working five days a week plus overtime at the moment, I receive a whole £30 a fucking week off my child's father, who does'nt share "care" but gives our child around 5 hours a week of his precious time.

You sound like an awful friend, I would bet my last penny you would'nt have the nerve to say any of your post to your friend or the cousin.

I agree with ShirleyKnot What the fuck is going on with all the single Mother/cms threads at the moment? Always slagging the Mother's off, never the Fathers.

I'm just being honest about how she is Shirley. I genuinely believe that she thinks if she moans enough about the trappings and hardships of being a single parent then people will just automatically assume she is one.

Report them then. They go on more than where someone is registered to live.

Erm, how can you just assume I'm not a tax payer? I cut down my hours to be around for my children more but I'm on a decent wage, so do pay my taxes and national insurance.

She isn't doing anything illegal, or immoral.

Oh, so she genuinely does have kids with SN then? And you begrudge her getting carers allowance?

And your ex friend - you're saying she's claiming benefits she's not entitled to? Not sure what CSA has to do with that? If they were officially a couple he'd still be supporting his kids. If you think she's claiming fraudulently how about reporting her? Or is it easier to moan about it here than actually do something about it?

It does seem to be maintenance bashing weekend doesn't it? Tories are up to something aren't they.

Dig a deep enough hole

SN do you mean special needs? If so then she doesn't have a disabled child. The carer's allowance she claims is for her mother. But according to my mil and fil she does hardly any caring at all.

Exactly how am I digging a hole?

But if a couple, say were the father couldn't work because of a disability and the mother was the sole earner decided to take on a few more hours because they were struggling. Her extra income would be taxed and if claiming tax credits then they would be reduced accordingly. Just an example of of course but how is that fair.

Goody! Another day, another goady benefits thread. Yawn.

You didn't have to read it though to be fair did you. For what it's worth this is the first time I've brought it up so don't tarnish me for what people before me have posted.

So you work 2 days a week so that you can be around for your DCs but you don think your single parent friend with 5 children should also be able to be around for her DCs.

She should get a job and pay half her wages on childcare so that someone else can look after her DCs for her, and then she can come home from her full time job and take on the running of a household single handedly too, rather than accepting the help to which she is legally entitled?

Yeah ok

Another point. Why is it ok not to tax Csa but it is ok to tax carer's allowance? Especially when one of you have already said it's a pittance, for what they do.

When I was a single parent I worked full time because I couldn't afford not to. After i'd paid childcare I wasn't much better off to be honest but I had no choice.

www.gov.uk/child-maintenance/overview

Hava a read

of course child support should be included in a household income when benefits are being assessed, they way I understand it is is that it isnt included as its not a reliable income and so it would cost more to assess everyone rather than just pay it out on circumstances

I've been told by 2 women I know that they think its daft their kids got free school meals/uniform assistance/subsidized school trips when their ex dh's paid them over a grand monthly in child support, obviously this is a huge amount and something most LP dont get anywhere close to, but when child support isnt income assessed then these anomalies happen

It says it can be arranged if you have separated from your partner. Fair enough for my dh's cousin at least they have genuinely separated (her ex has a new partner) but my friend is most definitely still with her partner. She went down the Csa route telling them that her ex refused to pay Csa but it's a total lie. This was done I believe so it looked like a genuine split. Like I said she's very clever. Why would she need to go down the Csa route at all when he is at her house most nights, they go off on family days out etc.

Poor you, your life must be hell.

It's been a very strange week of maintenance threads. They are all over MN this weekend.

Something is going on

And the majority of people posting the attacks on women who claim child maintenance seem to have extremely poor SPAG. Which is making me suspicious that they're either all the same person and sock-puppetting on all the threads, or that we've been infiltrated by some sort of MRA fuckwits who can't string a sentence together and blame their inadequacy on women.

Even my predictive text on my phone is bored of this topic now.