DSC and Child benefit

[evilstepmuvva]

Have posted in AIBU for traffic.
My DSC has been completely poisoned against us by ex wife and whilst this is devastating we have accepted the decision because DSC is almost an adult.
However there is a case open with CMS. But in the last few months we have been told 100% that DSC is no longer in education and is in fact earning a very good wage (massively over minimum for a 17 year old)
However CMS are fucking useless. We asked them months ago to check whether ex wife is still eligible for CB therefore making maintenance payable and we have been told numerous times they would check. They still haven't.
We have then been told by a relative of ex wife that DSC is absolutely no longer at college and is in fact working full time and paying board.
Is there any way my DH can confirm himself whether child benefit is in payment for his child?
Don't get me wrong if it is then maintenance will be paid however ex wife fraudulently claimed for years as a single mother (while living with a rich fiancé and taking cash in hand from DH) unfortunately we didn't find out about this until she had stopped doing it.
There is a complicated backstory as to why we have been told of DSCs new circumstances but it is very identifying I'm just at my wits end because CMS are so fucking shiftless!

Full time work at 17? How? The 'age of participation' or school leaving age is 18. It could be a summer job. CHB is also paid until the end of the school year that the young person leaves education.

Minimum wage for a 17yo is £4.05 per hour

www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

School leave age criteria

www.gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school

Child till 18 so should pay don't be so right fisted!

I used to work in Council Tax and assume their assessment of a child is similar - they are classed as a child until the October after child benefit stops, which is generally when education finishes. I don't know if Child benefit have a run on too but I assume they will rather than a set cut off on the exact date that full time education ends. Also the child working doesn't affect child benefit, leaving education does. They can work and still be in education.

First of all not being tight fisted.
There is a huge backstory but it's very identifying. Ex wife has a record of massive benefit fraud confirmed by solid sources.
DSC is NOT in education and this comes from someone who heard it from the horses mouth.
So essentially she is committing benefit fraud again PLUS taking board from her child who is earning a decent wage

The paying board from wages thing is the most frustrating thing. She doesn't need the money from her child or us or the state I assure you.
However my question was is there any way my DH can confirm if she still gets child benefit because if she does then obviously he will continue to pay.
But if not and it's just CMS being useless then why the fuck should we pay for her extravagant lifestyle when her child pays their own way now?

How sad you can't wait to not support him any longer. No wonder they have little to do with their dad.

17 year olds who have left education are still entitled to CB and as a result CM for twenty weeks after leaving education. They just have to registered with Connections or similar.

This is not about supporting the child. DH would gladly give his child the money.
But it's going to the ex wife who actually brags about what we have paid for to others. Some of these people disagree with her taking board from her child whilst claiming benefits and maintenance.
If DSC ever does make contact with dad again they will be welcomed with open arms and given anything they ask for

She doesn't need the money from her child or us or the state I assure you.

No one gets free lunch in this world.

Your DH is her father, in name if not by act, he is responsible for her until she is at least 18. No amount of ducking, diving and 'back story' will change that.

It's not her child op, it's their child. Hth.

So in this case potential benefit fraud is okay? 🙄

How is it benefit fraud?

I am aware that's is their child however ex wife has poisoned and emotionally abused their child to such an extent that they want nothing more to do with dad. We have tried everything and the situation has not changed. Believe me DH would have paid triple maintenance if it had stopped his ex turning his child against him

Because DSC hasn't attended college for months. We know for a fact is working full time and on a good wage (directly from their mouth to an associate)
Why should she claim benefits and take board and claim maintenance?

Ex wife has a record of massive benefit fraud confirmed by solid sources.

What has this got to do with you though?

Because she was taking money from my DH and telling the CSA he never even saw his fucking kids!

MN is hilarious sometimes.
If I had posted as if I were the ex saying I still claimed Child benefit to get maintenance even though my child worked full time and paid rent I'd have been called a greedy bitch and should be in trouble for benefit fraud

You wouldnt be able to ring the hmrc and ask if she is claiming child benefit but you could tip them off that you think shes claiming it when shes not entitled to it and they may look into it

Thank you Baker that's what I meant.
Believe me my DH has paid for and supported his child as much as humanly possible but the ex wife has created issues at every possible opportunity. She is a piece of work

No mn doesn't support parents opting out of caring and paying for their children. You are tightfisted and unreasonable no wonder the children aren't bothered about seeing their dad!

No other info or backstory is really important here. Your partner has a child and therefore an 18 year minimum commitment to provide. Trying to get out of this early for whatever reason is tight fisted (and that's putting it very nicely tbh!). YABU.

Still not getting why her previously committing benefit fraud is in the slightest bit relevant to either you or the situation.

working full time does not mean not in education though, it could be an internship, an apprenticeship, a temporary job, a sandwich course, all sorts of things.

The child is 17, so maintenance until 18, then university living allowance for 3-4 years, if the child chooses that path, so whether to stop paying NOW isn't really a live question, is it.

Like I said my DH has been the best dad he's been allowed to be but it's never been good enough. The only mistake he made was not making her sign for the thousands of pounds of cash he gave her. She always threatened to stop contact (and did several times) for asking her to sign a receipt. And now we know it's because she was claiming as a single parent - for more kids than just DHs! So she fraudulently claimed tax credits income support and housing benefit for eight years and now is rinsing her own kid when she gets maintenance from DH.
For what it's worth the money will be going into an account or sent to DSC in a cheque.