Receiving child maintenance once child has gone to university ?

[Bernie54]

Hi, can I ask if anyone still receives child maintenance from their ex once the child has gone to university ?

My Daughter (18) goes to university in September, she lives full time with me atm, and will stay with me when she returns for the holidays. Our original maintenance agreement states to pay until 2028, with regular reviews etc.

AIBU to expect this to continue? At least in the holidays anyway? Anyone else in this situation. For context I’m a low earner. He is not.

But you say he’s become less accommodating since he married

how so? You say you’re never had any issues with him paying maintenance

Thank you. It’s starting to feel like a witch hunt 😊

Isn’t she supposed to support herself with her student loans .

Why would you get maintenance for somebody who no longer lives with you?

I don't think people here understand that adopting a child and then dealing with their SEN is a full time job. You definitely couldn't be a nurse and support her. I'm a professional in the area and the meetings alone often stop a parent from working. And it's usually the mother. If he is decent he should continue to pay, but if I was you I would now use my time to look into training to return to work, even if it takes time. I'm hoping you are getting a large chunk of his pension once he retires

I haven’t had any issue. Correct.

Thank you so much I could literally cry. I gave it my all when we adopted her. We agreed that I would be the parent that did the meetings, school, therapy and everything in between. I was called by school most days to collect her, no employer would support that.

You said HE has become “less accommodating” since he remarried

my question is…. How so when you say you’ve never had any issue with him paying?

another assumption.

why do you want to know ??

Very odd

you mention it
you say he has always paid without any issue but then throw in he’s become “less accommodating” since he remarried.

i just asked how given no issue with money at all.

So is she attending uni at home or away?

What loans is she returning?

Well surely a fairly reasonable one?

Amen OP. Some ignorant early responses on this thread.

So looking back it appears she’s on full maintenance loans and PIP. She absolutely is supposed to be supporting herself.

My dc have to support themselves on the lowest maintenance loans and no PIP.

Why would you be getting any maintenance she is maintaining herself.

Can she get a job in the very long holidays?

Hand outs !!! Are you for actual real ?

What an awful post, directed at someone who asked for advice. Calling someone in OP’s circumstances and who has given up a career to care for a child with high needs a ‘victim’ is a new low, even for MN.

Any of DC's friends/my friends in that situation the money has either stopped or gone directly to the DC once at uni.
And a couple have had the issue that they've insisted the student finance used the dad's wages and has ended up with minimum amounts, but the dad has refused to pay, so they've been really shafted.

But if he does agree to pay you, he's not going to continue in three years time when she leaves uni, so all you're doing is kicking the issue into the future.
Use these months to look for a job that pays better to start when she's off to uni.

@Singleaftermarriage

Perhaps, but if she’s living away at university, it’s not a full time job.

OP I’d be using the opportunity of her being away to focus on yourself; any careers you fancy trying now you have the time do so?

And I guess you’ve used your income to access the full loans( it’s such an unfair system as divorced families use this to their advantage) so she is getting the full loans. She has bigger loans to support herself based on your income so you absolutely shouldn’t be getting maintenance otherwise the loans should be based on his income and she will get the lowest loans. She also has PIP so has more than enough money to support herself.

OP are you sure this is child maintenance and not a global maintenance order? Child maintenance is specific within CMS remit and only covers children up to 20 if they are in A level type education (or other sixth firm / FE equivalents) not uni (ie uni education is not covered by the “in education” wording that covers children up to age 20. My suspicion is this must have been a global order to “top up” if it is drafted / designed to support you for her until 2028. If it really is just child maintenance I think I agree that it won’t cover uni. Hopefully the dad will just see sense and agree to give your daughter funds direct and she can help you using that to support the household in the holidays. If a global order due to continue until 2028 I assume that will just continue as ordered. If you google “global maintenance order” you’ll see some good explanations of this vs child maintenance from good law firms.

But I’d also echo everyone else saying that as she leaves home and you get more freedom, do get back into your career. It will be so worth it even if you have to pay out along the way to get your registration back.

She lives with me full time.

But is getting full maintenance loans and PIP. She can support herself. You absolutely don’t need maintenance from your ex.

Ok thanks 😊