Page 6 | Free School Meals on £32k salary

icecube12345 · 2020-10-19T10:49:48+00:00

I'm a divorced father of two children in KS1 + KS2. Share exactly 50/50 custody. Due to various reasons, my ex gets double the CMS calculated CM payments plus additional spousal maintenance. In total, she'd need a job paying about £33k/year for the equivalent net income. AIBU to think that it's morally wrong that my eldest in KS2 qualifies for free school meals when his parents have significantly more income than the vast majority? I hope not to make use of the free meals as I don't agree with it, but I'm shocked he qualifies.

Chewbecca · 19/10/2020 19:00

I know a situation where the father is a consultant doing lots of private clinics as well his NHS role so earning well into 6 figures. He pays a significant amount of maintenance (including spousal) yet his children are entitled to FSM based on the mother’s income before maintenance.

I’m not sure that’s the best use of taxpayers money tbh.

Runningjump · 19/10/2020 19:07

This was the same with EMA. Those with wealthy fathers were given £30 a week to spend on their brand new cars, whilst those struggling but whose parents were together received no help.

This really winds me up and it's grossly unfair.

Runningjump · 19/10/2020 19:12

@Wankerchief

Why do you care? Why are you Getting involved? Move on.

Posters like you are what contributes to Mumsnet being a cesspit. OP asked a genuine question.

Why does he care? Why is he getting involved? Because they're his fucking children!

Next time take your own advice and if you don't have anything to add, jog the fuck on.

CrappleUmble · 19/10/2020 19:23

@Chewbecca

I know a situation where the father is a consultant doing lots of private clinics as well his NHS role so earning well into 6 figures. He pays a significant amount of maintenance (including spousal) yet his children are entitled to FSM based on the mother’s income before maintenance.

I’m not sure that’s the best use of taxpayers money tbh.

Do you think redesigning the FSM system to exclude what is probably not a vast number of children given what we know about NRP contributions in the UK, spending money on changing and administering it then dealing with the inevitable fuck ups, would be a better use of taxpayers money?

BillMasen · 19/10/2020 19:28

OP a lot of posters on here just can’t believe a dad would pay cms, never mind more. Don’t let them bother you.

As for CMS when it’s 59:50, I posted on a previous thread that I can personally confirm that the cms calc says some should be paid, and courts have been known to say that’s what should be paid

And that some of us have done 50:50, and paid cms, at more than double the calc amount. I accept some men don’t step up, but some do so please don’t make out we’re lyibg

BillMasen · 19/10/2020 19:31

50:50

59:50 would be interesting...

Original poster

icecube12345 · 19/10/2020 20:08

@MitziK

I'm not for a moment suggesting you'd pay tax on it! Just like you include charitable donations, and get tax back. It would just be a way to track it.

OP posts:

Original poster

icecube12345 · 19/10/2020 20:11

@knittingaddict

Have a look at the CMS calculator.

OP posts:

knittingaddict · 19/10/2020 20:17

It doesn't have a specific calculation for 50/50 care. This is from Citizen's Advice:

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/children-and-young-people/child-maintenance/child-maintenance-2012-scheme/child-maintenance-calculation/the-2012-child-maintenance-scheme-calculating-payments-shared-care/

50/50 care = no child maintenance.

Original poster

icecube12345 · 19/10/2020 20:19

AFAIK the only time you'd not pay CM in a 50/50 split is when you both had comparable incomes to keep the children in a reasonable standard of living from your own income.

OP posts:

knittingaddict · 19/10/2020 20:20

This is the quote from Citizen's Advice:

If you share the care of the children equally
If you share care equally, neither of you has to pay maintenance to each other.

If the CMS believe you share care equally, they won’t do a maintenance calculation.

irregularegular · 19/10/2020 20:21

I really don't know why OP is getting such a hard time here. I don't think he is having a dig at his ex at all. Nor do I think he is ashamed of being labelled "disadvantaged". I think he simply believes that his family and others in the same position are receiving money that could be better used elsewhere. Some people are very quick to see the worst possible interpretation of a post!

Original poster

icecube12345 · 19/10/2020 20:29

@knittingaddict

Besides, even if it were like that, is anyone really going to not pay for anything towards their ex who doesn't work, and hasn't worked for 8 years and let their kids live off benefits...

It's a difficult one anyway, because I, for example, don't directly/additionally contribute to out of school clubs or school uniform, and large clothing purchases because of the additional I pay in CM and SM. If I was paying the minimum, or as you've suggested nothing, I would pay for all those costs directly of course, however my children would not have a comparable life with their mother as they do with me.

OP posts:

Original poster

icecube12345 · 19/10/2020 20:30

@irregularegular

Thank you.

OP posts:

BillMasen · 19/10/2020 20:34

@knittingaddict

This is the quote from Citizen's Advice:

If you share the care of the children equally
If you share care equally, neither of you has to pay maintenance to each other.

If the CMS believe you share care equally, they won’t do a maintenance calculation.

I’ve said this before on a previous thread

I personally was told by a court to pay the cms calc payment even though I was doing 50:50. If you enter the details in the calc it does show a payment. I was told to pay that. By a court.

I can’t be any clearer. It does happen.

lyralalala · 19/10/2020 20:44

@knittingaddict

This is the quote from Citizen's Advice:

If you share the care of the children equally
If you share care equally, neither of you has to pay maintenance to each other.

If the CMS believe you share care equally, they won’t do a maintenance calculation.

Just seen your previous post @knittingaddict

50:50 maintenance isn't awarded by CMS. It has to be done through court. It's often part of a divorce (as in the OP's case), but not necessarily.

It can be superceeded after a year and a day by CMS so it can involve returning to court every year.

I thought my post said that, but I must have chopped it off with fat fingers when editing some spelling errors.

lyralalala · 19/10/2020 20:47

Also CMS will often take one party getting benefits for the children, as the OP's ex is in this case, as proof that they don't have exact shared care and that she is the RP.

When briefly working for CMS I was taught that anything less than a court order means no proof of 50:50. If one party receives child benefit then they are the recognised RP for maintenance purposes.

marveloustimeruiningeverything · 19/10/2020 20:48

Once a pupil has qualified for PP in a primary school, they continue to be considered PP for the duration I believe. Ditto for military children ... entitled to it and to keep it for up to 6 years after the parent leaves the armed forces.

lyralalala · 19/10/2020 20:49

@Chewbecca

I know a situation where the father is a consultant doing lots of private clinics as well his NHS role so earning well into 6 figures. He pays a significant amount of maintenance (including spousal) yet his children are entitled to FSM based on the mother’s income before maintenance.

I’m not sure that’s the best use of taxpayers money tbh.

It would cost a lot more to include NRP's income into those calculations than it does to have the very few children whose RP receives large amounts of maintenance to have FSM.

knittingaddict · 19/10/2020 21:01

I was talking about maintenance administered by the CMS. Of course child maintenance can be negotiated through the family courts and could probably be any amount as long as both parties agree. The op said he was paying double what he should pay and that's all I was interested in. The CMS won't calculate when 50/50 care is in place, so I wonder what amount op is paying double of, plus spousal and plus 50/50.

Mou53 · 19/10/2020 23:30

So, 3 years ago I qualified for free school meals as I was a uni student and worked part time so I got a small amount of universal credit. Now I work full time and earn around £45k a year and I’m still entitled to free school meals. I questioned it and said it can’t be right as I don’t get any universal credit etc but I was told if you have qualified for it once during that school phase, the entitle stays the whole way through.

ladiessmock · 20/10/2020 06:21

Yes Mou53, that's what I posted up thread. At the moment, because there's been a lot of upheaval to the benefits system, they've decided to let everyone keep their FSM entitlement until they finish whatever phase of schooling they're in in 2022. (So if your child was in Year 7 in 2022, they would never lose their entitlement.) This is entirely separate from the Ever6 rule for PP.

SimonJT · 20/10/2020 06:31

Still feels questionable as clearly my child isn't from a disadvantaged background

Having parents who have split does mean they are fro a disadvantaged background, even when a split is handled very well by parents. Have a look at ACES, it highlights the impact quite well. Parents shouldn’t stay together to avoid that disadvantage (as it is likely to cause other issues), but a relationship breakdown rarely has zero impact on the child/ren.

PineappleUpsideDownCake · 20/10/2020 06:39

Oh my daughter didnt get to keep fsm allowance but went onto ever 6 as PP. We were countd as PP for school stats but didnt recrive anything from the school in return as no longer fsm but ever6.

I actually thought she'd come off ever 6 this year. Does this change in benefits system mean she wont?

ladiessmock · 20/10/2020 07:10

No. If your child came off FSM before they brought in this rule change, then the normal Ever6 rules apply (I think).