Ex wants me to pay for kids’ school uniform

[dancingdad]

We are separated and have twins who are starting school this September. I pay her child care each month (£400). She’s sent me a long list of uniform they need for school. Am I right in thinking the child support I pay should go on this?
she has a kid by someone else too and the father was never asked to pay child support so I’m thinking my money will no doubt go on his uniform too!

Excellent point, have the kids 50/50, and no worries about maintenance.

You should pay to clothe them when they are with you. So if you want to be really technical about it, you should cover the proprtion of the uniform costs for the proportion of mornings you send them to school.

Go and take the children to buy them yourself. Then tell her it's on her next year. This
know it goes on them only.

Legally, you don't to pay anything additionally. In practice it's quite common to consider that school uniforms, as well as school trips etc...but then it also depends on how much maintenance is in the first place.

Technically you don’t have to help her but also, £200 per child over a month in summer holidays and then the purchase of school uniform is not a huge amount.
If you’re afraid she will spend it on her other child then how about you buy the uniform your self rather than expecting it to be done for you.

Grow up and split the costs including shoes and trainers - bet it doesn't come under 200 quid per child all in if full uniforms

You pay for their childcare that’s all the £400 covers. The children need to eat they need to be clothed. It all costs at the end of the day. The least you could do is pay half. Who buys all their every day clothes and winter coats. Uniforms are expensive when schools want the school logo on their polo shirts and jumper’s. Then there’s PE kits and book bags etc. You need to get in the real world. Providing children’s basic needs is expensive.

Reverse?
Surely splitting uniform bill including shoes and school bags etc would be the way to go

Why did you need a list, surely you're already aware of their needs and have planned and budgeted for your half?
Do you parent them 50/50 or more?

Surely this is a reverse.

Are you the mum on here to tell us what your ex has said?

Of course you should pay towards the uniform. Maintenance is for the day to day stuff.

£400 for two kids ☠️

You cannot be forced to pay any more than the legal amount that CMS deems. That's the start and end of the law.

First, it's not HER childcare. It's YOUR children's childcare bill. Does she work or not? What's the list, has she given you every item they have to get or half? If she has and you pay child support plus the childcare fees then I'd likely give some sort of cost towards it, maybe pay for a child each, but you don't need to if paying csa.

I wouldn't be paying the whole lot for both and think that's unfair to expect. If she's unemployed, shel get money towards school uniform, if she claimed it.

My dad used to give maintenance money and he did also buy all three of our full uniforms, but my mum did absolutely rip the piss out him.

Assuming you’re based in the UK and they are going to a typical primary school, you can get uniform from supermarkets etc
Ive just brought my youngest the things he needs for September and apart from logo’d jumpers that have to be brought at £12 a go, the rest has come from TU at sainsburys. I think I’ve probably done it all including PE kit and black trainers for £100.
£400 a month for two kids if they are with their Mother the majority of the time won’t stretch far.
I would get the uniform personally, save her the hassle of her getting it and you can spend what you want on it.
If you have your children 50% of the time (which I’m assuming you don’t otherwise you probably wouldn’t be paying £400 pm) then I would go halves on the uniform and I personally couldn’t get worked up about a non biological child using a £5 pack or polo shirts and £10 pack of pinafores/trousers.

Why don’t you take them and buy what they need and then ask her for a contribution? Then you’ll know what the money was spent on.

Even if you are right, how would your children.feel if they knew you would intentionally choose spend the bare minimum on them? If you can’t afford it, then fair enough - but if you can afford it and choose not to because you’ve paid your four hundred quid the government makes you pay then that’s a shame and only hurts your kids in the long run.

Half of uniform, other school costs, clubs and hobbies and Christmas is fair and considered normal by active involved parents. It’s only the deadbeats who don’t feel they should pay that

That’s what I got told to pay for CMS

As others have asked interested to see how many nights a week you have them? You might be better buying uniforms for each of your houses.

You can pay more though….

CMS is the legal minimum.

£400 a month for twins. You’re having a laugh.
I’d like to see you live on £400 a month to house and feed yourself and pay all your bills.

They're your children so you should want to cover the costs of bringing them up instead of trying to duck out of your responsibilities.

Did you go to school on a different planet where they don't need uniform/supplies for school? Surely you thought ahead hmm the twins will be needing school stuff this summer?!

God forbid you might pay more than the bare minimum towards your own children.