Driving to and from contact

[Littleclair79]

Please help, my ex partner used to live in the same village but has now move an hour and a half away and is demanding that I collect them two thirds of the way from my house to his. I'm on benefits as he works shift so he has them whenever he has days off . Because of this I can't get a job as I can't give an employer days I can work. I can't afford the petrol for a hour drive and back. He says it's law that you share the travel on the days he has them ? Is this true? I can't find it anywhere on my Google searches

He has also said that if I don't he will deduct his petrol costs from the maintenance

He moved so he does it. All you have to do is make the DC available for contact. And you urgently need a proper contact schedule. If he was a single parent with the kids all the time he’d find a way to sort his schedule. Get a proper arrangement so everyone knows what they’re doing and when. It’s not good for your kids to have such an ad hoc set up. And you can’t not work forever because you’re waiting on him to have them or not have them. How old are they?

No, you don't have to share travel for contacts
There is no such law
He moved away. You just say no I can't afford it . That doesn't help if he refuses to return them

The only way it becomes reunited is under a court order for contact where the judge has stipulated you do the driving one way and explaining you have majority of residency & can't afford petrol, given he moved away from living nearby in the village not you

@Littleclair79

He has also said that if I don't he will deduct his petrol costs from the maintenance

He can't do that

2 things:

1. he’s lying about the travel. He moved, he has to travel and he can’t deduct his costs from maintenance
2. You can get a job with regular hours - it’s up to him to manage his work or childcare arrangements to fit in with his own hours, not you to do this.

By not working, he’s making you beholden to him! I assume access is court ordered? And maintenance is done through CSA? If not, get it sorted officially, look for a job and tell him which days he has the children. They will benefit much more from having a set routine.

They are 6 and 3
I'm seeing a solicitor on Wednesday but I'm not sure if they will take me as I've been refused by so many already as I'm on benefits. He pays my monthly but I've contacted the agency that sorts out maintenance but the problem is he refusing to give his new address so its going to take time.

Travel cost in excess of £10 can be declared and a deduction of child support can be made

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/336663/variations-explained-paying.pdf