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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Csa maintenance deductions

17 replies

Jadepumpkin26 · 24/04/2021 19:59

Hi, I’m hoping somebody can give me some advise.
I have 2 children with my ex.
I work part time school hours for a low income and me and my kids only just keep our heads above water with the help of tax credits.
My children’s dad is remarried and expecting another child with his wife. I had to start a claim with the csa when he left as he didn’t provide for the kids for over 6 months. He has already told me he will lower the amount he has to pay me when their son is born next month as the csa will allow it.
What worries me more is when their step mum goes back to work he says he plans to claim childcare vouchers on his salary to lower his income. Will this be taken into account by the csa and lower what he has to pay me again?
He already found a loophole he can claim mileage off the amount he pays to lower it more as he moved a few hours away, he has them every other Saturday night.
I give everything I can to my kids and work as many hours as I can around them but am worried about falling onto the poverty line. Their dad enjoys a good lifestyle with 2 good incomes, 2 new cars and holidays abroad yearly (which my children are never invited) but isn’t concerned with how much I struggle to bring them up and give them everything they need.
I didn’t plan a life like this for my children but bringing them up alone is hard and I don’t want them to go without even more if their dad can find ways to not have to contribute :-(

OP posts:

Lauz841 · 24/04/2021 20:02

Someone more knowledgable will prob help out but I think maintenance is calculated from gross income, so childcare deductions won’t make any difference to the amount you get. He is correct though that your payments will lower when his new baby is born. X

Merryoldgoat · 24/04/2021 20:07

He can’t make a new claim due childcare vouchers - schemes are closed to new claimants.

Unless he’s claimed in the last year it’s not possible.

DarkDarkNight · 24/04/2021 20:12

I’m sorry he is such a shit dad who seems like he is going out of his way to pay as little as possible for his children he gives a bad name to separated parents. Claiming a reduction on mileage when he moved away and he is better off than you is really crap.

Do you go through CMS at the moment? I know you mentioned CSA, but I would get your claim assessed or looked at just so you are getting what you should be getting. They can access his income. It is correct that when he has a new baby he will have another dependent so your amount will reduce. I’m not sure about salary sacrifice and how it affects child maintenance, hopefully it will be worked out on gross not net income. I would hope it would be looked down on from a child maintenance point of view when it is obviously being used to lower payments.

OutspokenNotThatFunny · 24/04/2021 20:14

It will only go down by about 10 a month for his newborn.. So not too bad.
As for childcare vouchers. Cms is based on gross.

JustLyra · 24/04/2021 20:20

@OutspokenNotThatFunny

It will only go down by about 10 a month for his newborn.. So not too bad. As for childcare vouchers. Cms is based on gross.

It’s a percentage so you can’t possibly say how much it’ll go down by without knowing the figures

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 24/04/2021 20:25

Based on what I read on MN sadly child maintenance can hardly ever be relied upon. Too many arseholes out there dodging it.

BlueDahlia69 · 24/04/2021 21:10

OP he sounds awful...

I hope you get it sorted 🌸

TrustTheGeneGenie · 24/04/2021 21:11

No. Goes on gross wage. So childcare vouchers won't count. But as above he can't start using them now unless he previously has.

FedNlanders · 24/04/2021 21:12

My ex moved in with a lady with 5 kids and mine dropped right down!

BusyLizzie61 · 24/04/2021 21:28

@Jadepumpkin26

Hi, I’m hoping somebody can give me some advise. I have 2 children with my ex. I work part time school hours for a low income and me and my kids only just keep our heads above water with the help of tax credits. My children’s dad is remarried and expecting another child with his wife. I had to start a claim with the csa when he left as he didn’t provide for the kids for over 6 months. He has already told me he will lower the amount he has to pay me when their son is born next month as the csa will allow it. What worries me more is when their step mum goes back to work he says he plans to claim childcare vouchers on his salary to lower his income. Will this be taken into account by the csa and lower what he has to pay me again? He already found a loophole he can claim mileage off the amount he pays to lower it more as he moved a few hours away, he has them every other Saturday night. I give everything I can to my kids and work as many hours as I can around them but am worried about falling onto the poverty line. Their dad enjoys a good lifestyle with 2 good incomes, 2 new cars and holidays abroad yearly (which my children are never invited) but isn’t concerned with how much I struggle to bring them up and give them everything they need. I didn’t plan a life like this for my children but bringing them up alone is hard and I don’t want them to go without even more if their dad can find ways to not have to contribute :-(

He hasn't found loopholes, the travel costs exists so that they can meet their travel needs to see their children. And has to have been verified to receive. Likewise the deduction once he has another child is to recognise he's contributing to another child financially. Tax free childcare deductions won't impact as these are paid after receiving his income and being taxed. He'll still get the benefits of the scheme but also pay you the correct amount.

It's a shit situation. But ultimately, you being so reliant on his contribution, which could change at any point, due to redundancy for example, is the issue you need to address. Working pt school hours for a low wage just doesn't sound sustainable for your family. And as much as I advocate school hours working for lone parents, you obviously need to either supplement your income or earn more. Maybe look at other pt work vacancies, much to popular disbelief, there always seems to be a plethora of such flexibile jobs around....

FizzyApricot · 24/04/2021 21:32

As hard as it is you need to try and forget her income. You could find someone else and have 2 incomes and it still wouldn't affect what he pays. It is hard. I hope his new baby helps him see how hard it is and he might stop trying to find ways to reduce how much maintenance you get.

FizzyApricot · 24/04/2021 21:34

Could you look for another job? Probably best to become less reliant on your ex, he could lose job or die or something.

FizzyApricot · 24/04/2021 21:35

BusyLizzie61 said it better

RogueRebel · 24/04/2021 21:42

I'm not sure if this is the same but my ex volunteered to put more into his pension to reduce CSA as this was taken before tax and the CSA (at that time - 12+ years ago) was calculated after deductions

Murraytheskull · 24/04/2021 21:56

I was going to say similar to @roguerebel - my ex upped his pension contributions to reduce his maintenance requirements. This was about 4 years ago so as far as I know this is still the case. There are loopholes available to the kind of men who play the game sadly.

tealandteal · 24/04/2021 22:00

If he is not already claiming childcare vouchers he will not be able to join the scheme. Small comfort I guess.

Hankunamatata · 24/04/2021 22:07

Have you worked out of you would be better working ft as tax credits pay towards childcare costs

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