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Child Maintenance break down

12 replies

snowmama · 10/09/2010 09:33

My ex has asked me to account for my child maintenance monies received (I sense I know where this conversation is heading - but hey ho)

  • He pays the CSA statutory amount for two children (no more, no less)
  • My understanding that child maintenance consists of all things required to support and maintain the children, and as such included a total breakdown of:

Rent
Nursery fees
Aupair fees (cannot go to work without support and nursery)
Utility bills (excluding mobile, TV or anything optional)
Childrens savings account (actually nothign going in at the moment, but were included for completeness)
Monthly budget for clothes/nappies/essentials.

The total of this figure comes to 'x' of which the child maintenance contribution covers 15%, so I cover 85%.

Does this list include anything I should remove i.e. rent. Also, am I correct in believing that the CSA amount should stay the same even when they stop nursery and go to (free) school ?

Any thoughts would be greatfully received!

OP posts:
Lauriefairycake · 10/09/2010 09:35

You don't need to account for anything.

You need one word - it's "NO!" - arrange it in any order you fancy

There are other words Wink you can use.

Lauriefairycake · 10/09/2010 09:36

yes, the amount stays the same until his income changes.

snowmama · 10/09/2010 09:38

Lol. It is a word I need to get better aquainted with !

Thanks

OP posts:
HRHPrincessReality · 10/09/2010 09:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

snowmama · 10/09/2010 09:46

It is.. I was actually pretty shocked when I added it all up!!

OP posts:
gillybean2 · 10/09/2010 09:52

It's none of his business what you decide to spent the money on.
The amount he pays is based on his income and is designed to keep the children in the lifestyle they would have expected had you stayed together.

You need to remove everything from the list and tell him it's not relevant to him.

However for your own calculations bear in mind your costs include feeding, clothing, housing, water, electric, insurance, car expenses (petrol, service, MOT insurance, childcare, xmas & birthdays (their own and going to friends which requires a gift), days out, treats when out, toys and activities to stimulate them, dvds... You can add lots of things if you think about it. Then there's big purchases like car seats, buggy, bedroom furniture (cot to bed, storage etc) and decorating. And if you want to be really pernickety you can include your time for being an unpaid childcarer, your extra time spent cleaning, cooking, washing, caring...

And as they get older you may find you pay less in childcare (you will still need to cover the holidays and before/after school), but you will get extra expenses at school - uniform, shoes, pe kit, various trips, photos, dinner money, donations, school events like fetes & raffles (to name a few). Plus they will want to use your computer/internet access, have a mobile phone (when a bit older), have more trips out to cinema and the like, pocket money, you wil be ferrying them around more to clubs and activities (swimming, brownies/cubs, music/dance lessons)...

You absolutely do not have to justify your costs to him. Not now not ever.

corlan · 10/09/2010 13:45

Snowmama - as others have said, you don't have to account for what you spend the money on and he's got some cheek to ask you to do so (and that's putting it politely!)

snowmama · 10/09/2010 14:57

Thanks all, that was my instinctual response - but was unsure if I was being unreasonable !!

OP posts:
ChocHobNob · 10/09/2010 19:57

Agree with the telling him No. You have no obligation to explain where the maintenance is spent.

But with regards to the comments about rent/mortgage and bills etc ... remember if an NRP has the child at their house at all, they do pay more than maintenance too (not all obviously). Just a thought.

ivykaty44 · 10/09/2010 20:02

tell him you have sent the list to the csa and he can get it from them, all he has to do is telephone ask for Maggie Nobbles Wink

mamas12 · 10/09/2010 20:51

Don't tell him anything, he is not allowed to police you like this. He is your ex and has no control how you spend the family money.
It is not his money to be accounted for it's his dcs.

TheMooseMan · 13/09/2010 18:54

Ol's dad asked me to buy him a certain toy. (Can't remember what it was...but it was expensive.) When I told him I couldn't afford it, he got all huffy about him giving me maintenance for stuff like that.
erm....he gives me £20 a week. No matter that I have to buy food and nappies.....toys come first! Hmm

Just stand your ground. You don't have to give him any of that information as you should be entitled to a certain amount of his income. Yours doesn't come into it.

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