To not continue to claim child maintenance

[MaxwellCat]

When there are no payments? I reopened my child maintenance claim a year ago but there are no payments as my ex is on benefits and apparently has "priority debt" its been a year and these apparent debts have not cleared (being on benefits I guess he can pay back a couple of pounds a week?) Before this it was the same thing no payments as he wasn't working or claiming anything. what's to stop him getting into debt again once they are clear so he doesn't have to pay ?(yes he would do this to spite me) I'm ready to give up as even if the debts do clear its only £7 a week and he won't have to pay back any of the arrears whilst not working. People have told me I should continue to claim for "the principle" but what principle if he doesn't have to pay anything? In fact I think he is probably laughing that he has managed to get away without paying. Also I should fight for what my kids are owed but who wants to fight for nothing? Even £7 isnt worth fighting for Aibu to give up and close my claim?

I really feel for you! I wouldn't bother and hope his conscience plagues him!

My ex husband was on benefits and i knew it would only be £7pw. So i didnt bother, id rather say that i did it all myself, than let him say he paid maintenance when £7 really wasn't going to help much.

Just leave it open & forget about it. They will review each year & you never know one day you might get a nice surprise.

I get the 7 a week … I take it as it reminds ex he has a child .

i wouldn’t put any effort in just leave it ticking over. He might get a job one day . My ex hasn’t in 16 years but you never know

Oh thank you finally! I'm sick of people telling me to fight for what my kids are owed, yeah a whole £7! And that its not my place to close the claim as its my kids money again £7! Its pathetic I would rather not have him laughing at us. Me claiming doesn't make him feel bad or guilty.

He will never work whilst the kids are young to avoid payments. I gave up that hope years ago. There aren't any payments at all.

My husbands x is the same, works self employed, claim’s benefits and dosen’t even pay the £7 a week.

I would keep the claim. If he at some point starts paying his £7pw you can put it into the bills and save ur £7 in a saving account for the kids. Itl add up over time.

I don't think some people are aware sometimes there is absolutely no payments at all not even the £7 "minimum" its an absolute joke

So you claiming is ensuring he lives on £60ish a week? If he is doing it to spite you why not carry on claiming to spite him and keep the moron in poverty by his own actions?

He gets money by other means he is not living off £60 a week

How sad for your children he doesn't love them and want to provide even basic care for them. If leave the claim open. His punishment will be living on a pittance for 18 years.

Unfortunately he isn't living off pittance he has the latest phones etc whereas my phones about 5 years old.... he is getting money cash in hand i just can't prove it

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Just leave the claim open. You don't actually have to do anything. Leave it open and forget about it. If you ever get anything put in the kids savings account.

If he wants to do anything such as buy house etc he'll need to prove income. Living off the books isn't easy to do forever. Why make it easy for him? Let it be another inconvenience that he can't declare income if he can't be arsed to pay for his kids.

Report him for claiming benefits and working cash in hand.

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And this.

My ex is on a nil assessment. Despite the fact he doesn't have to pay anything, hell will freeze over before I close my claim.

I'm not reporting him i have no proof you need proof of these things they don't take people's word for it sadly

HMRC will investigate if they think someone isnt paying tax.

You don't say how old your children are but lets assume they're young enough to need adult supervision and care. If he's not working, why don't you suggest that he has the children 50/50 or maybe during school holidays whilst you're at work. I mean they're his kids aren't they and it's not like he has any place to be.

Unfortunately I’ve looked into this quite a lot and without any evidence I will get nowhere, it also isn’t worth the backlash I would receive when I wouldn’t even get any payments anyway.

he wouldn’t do 50/50 he is mostly absent we split 6 years ago and he has never had them overnight never mind anything else he barely sees them.

If it makes his life even slightly more difficult, keep doing it
And keep reporting him for benefit fraud and tax evasion