To ask ExH to increase maintenance because of changing currency rates?

[Jonnywilkinsonsswordsteaknife]

ExH pays maintenance in euros but I have to change them into sterling.
In the last six months the exchange rates changed so much that I am £15 worse off now compared to then.

The lady at the PO suggested I ask him to do a money transfer so that the amount I receive is constant and he bears any variation in cost.

Would IBU to suggest this on the next visit. Should he bear the increased cost or should I just accept currencly fluctuations and be worse off?

I tried this in LPs but not much response over there. Thought AIBU would be a livelier spot to try.

The amount you have to live on doesn't go down by £15, tbh he needs to make sure you get what is promised to you for the upkeep of your DC.

I don't think you ought to be worse off at all, I imagine if this were going through CSA etc, if he underpaid, there would be an issue/arrears.

Can you talk to him nicely about this?

I think he will be okay about increasing the amount to reflect the changes.

But it is delicate because he isn't deliberately giving me less, it is just because of the currency fluctations.

Let's turn it around for a second - if the pound had weakened against the euro would you be considering returning money to your ExH?

I am going to guess that he has no legal obligation to pay out more money or alter his arrangements.

That being said, there is no harm in raising the issue with him and it is only unreasonable if you allow that discussion to become so.

Ask him what he thinks of the situation, sorry, I don't see how it's 'delicate'...... It's his childs welfare...... Just speak to him.

You're adults

Rejessta - I was just thinking that as I posted.

As I am on Income Support I would have to declare the changes and once it was over the allowed £20 a week the difference would be taken from my IS, so I wouldn't actually be any better off.

So I could tell him to reduce it to keep the maintenance under the weekly amount allowed by IS.

I can see it is an interesting dilema. Should the maintenance received stay constant then it is an extra cost to the parent paying it. But should the amount being paid stay constant it is a cost to the parent receiving it.

Ilovetiffany, thanks, yes delicate is perhaps the wrong word.

OP...Maintenance is being fully disregarded from April for Income Support claims.

If maintenance has been done officially, ie through a consent order sealed by the court or assessed by the CSA then he must pay you what's been ordered, ie if it's £100 per month then that is what you receive, irrespective of whether that costs him 85 euros, 95 or whatever.

Well, it sounds like your only option is to discuss it with your Ex and hope he sees things your way. I hope it works out.

Mumblechum, we do everything based on goodwill, it has only been 7 months and this will be the first time I have had to bring up the issue of the exchange rate. I read somewhere that maintenance is non-enforceable across borders, but could well be wrong.

onadietcokebreak - ah yes, I think the job centre plus lady has been trying to drum that into me.

So the general consensus is just ask, nicely.

Thank you.

What flavour euros is it and how much would it hurt him to up it?

Jonny, if mtce isn't official yet then yes, it's difficult as the CSA won't get involved, however if eventually you do a consent order in the UK including provision for mtce then most countries are signed up to the REMO agreement (Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders) which applies to most Western countries.

Johnny - who decided the maintenance levels? If it was the courts then presumably the euro amount was dictated by a european court who "expected" you to stay in that country. If it was a UK court then I think it should be in sterling.

Sounds like mumblechum knows the score though!