Can I ask how much child maintenance you get?

[SingleMumAndProud]

Sorry for the personal question but...
I have split with DH and rang CMoptions and they have said he needs to give me £40 a week.

We have a 1 year old and a 2 year old.

He is on a low wage but I still thought it would be more than that.

He has moved back in with his Mum so its hardly like he has to pay out for a house or anything (like I do!!).

I have suggested he pays me £200 a month so thats a bit extra. But when he left, every bill we have was in arrears and its all in my name for me to sort out and I am completly financially stuck.

Supposed to be £140 per month for 2 teens (13 and 16) but did not start until eldest was 12 and for last few months it has been nothing. I know is working regularly and earning a decent amount but self emp so not even worth involving CSA.

The civilised private arrangement was £150 per month for three months between September and December 2013.

Then he got ill enough to get off work long term. So stopped paying anything at all.

There's a restraining order in place now because of the stalking and harassment that ensued.

I applied through the CMS back in March 2014.

Received a payment of £350 in January this year - the CMS informed me that there is now an attachment to his earnings involved and that we should be getting regular payments as of March.

I hate to sound like a cynic, but I'll believe it when I see it.

We used to pay £210 per month for my husbands child with an ex partner. We don't pay anything now as the child is a fully grown adult who finished university several years back. His ex used to argue that £210 was not enough even though DH had given her the house they lived in which had no mortgage and so had relinquished all of his equity (they purchased house together but DH earned more throughout their relationship). £210 a decade ago would go a whole lot further than it does today.
The child hasn't spoken to DH for many years as he believes that his dad didn't provide for him after the split with his mother (stories told by his mother).
I'm fuming on behalf all these people who get little or no maintenance

I get nothing, I applied through the Csa when my dts were born over three years ago and they "haven't been able to find him" I've given up.

Oh please stop with the 'you're lucky' comments to those us who get 30 or 40 quid a week, it's still a pittance.
For those RP's with self employed exes like mine who claim to be earning less than they they pay in rent there is some good news. Under the new government UC reforms, which are largely pretty horrific, there is at least one positive, the self employed will be presumed to be earning minimum wage at full time hours. This means that if you have, for example one DC, you'll get minimum 15% of NMW equating roughly to £37 per week. Probably won't come into play for a couple of years though.