Adding fathers name to the birth cert

[xxmelxx1]

Hi all,

Newly registered here but long time browser.

My husband and I have 3 children. When my older 2 children where born we were not married and he didn't want anything to do with them and kept disappearing, I survived on benefits. About 8 years later he mended his ways and we got married. His name is not on the birth cert of my older 2 children and he now wants that changing. Can this cause him any issues with the DWP in terms of having to pay back any child maintenance etc etc? Hope this is in the correct forum!

Any help appreciated.

Many Thanks
Mel

I hope so. He can now pay back the state for 8 years of paying for his children to be raised in his absence.

Yep appreciate that, but it will now hit me in the pocket as well because we are married.

It shouldn't do as benefits are based on circumstances at the time and at the time you were a single parent- but it could be worth getting advice from an organisation such as CAB or Coram (www.childrenslegalcentre.com/)

Thanks will look into that.

Surely you just tell the CSA he has paid you directly?

My understanding is that the CSA dates back payments from when they receive a claim - if thy never get a claim from you, I don't think they will pursue.

Not a lawyer though.

Or have you filed a claim in the past when he was being useless?

No claim for CSA was made, he was abusive at the time and I never gave his name nor did I put his name on the birth certs. I received income support and housing benefit. We have now been married nearly 9 years and he wants his name on the birth certs of our older 2 kids.

So if you never made a claim, what maintenance would he have to pay back?

If he Was so abusive you wanted him completely apart from you and the children are you sure, 100% certain, that he doesn't want to go on the birth certificates as a measure of control over you and them and then try to remove them from you with his new found parental responsibility?

I was thinking if he would have to pay the income support/HB I received if i now add his name as the father on the birth certs. Sorry if this is a stupid question, as you can see I don't much about these things.

No, you will only have to pay things back if you fraudulently claimed. They might ask you to price that you actually were a single parent if you're now married to the father of your children having not been in a relationship for years. How old were your children when you got back together?

If he was not living with you at the time that you claimed benefits then you were a single parent and won't have to pay anything back.

If you were claiming fraudulently (i.e. he was living there but you said he wasn't) then that is totally different.

As you never made a CSA claim, he won't have to pay anything back.

It's not a stupid question at all, you are just trying to find out the facts.

Now you are married, the birth cert part won't make any difference in regards to parental responsibility.

How old are your children?

Children were 6 and 3.

So the oldest is 14 and the next one 11?

In which case he already has parental responsibility for both as you are married. Nothing will change in that respect.

For what reason does he want that changing?

In fact, from reading it looks as though you were supposed to have re-registered both children when you got married 8 years ago!

You can reregister to add a father's name anyway...and you can reregister even if the father is named after you're married to reflect that you're married.

So yes, you can and it is not in any way related to benefits or maintenance.

Hang on...they were 6 and 3, he was missing for 8 years and you've been married for 9, are these adult children?

Yes number thats correct. It wasn't really an issue until he noticed the birth certs and saw the fathers name blank. He saying he doesnt want them to grow any older without his name on there.

Sorry I am a bit confused, have you been married 9 years or was he gone for 8 years?

OP?