Child maintenance

[lovebeyondwords]

My ex husband has always paid what he thinks is fair for our three children. I kinda just accepted it.
I needed a letter for my mortgage company recently In order to prove what he pays. Asked him three times for the letter to no avail, therefore I gave up and contacted the cms.
Turns out he’s bn underpaying so they’ve hammered him for increased payments. He’s LIVID. (If only he’s given me the letter, he’d have avoided this btw).

Anyhoo, he’s now decided to claim travel allowance since he has to travel 10 miles to drop kids at school daily, and pick up, then takes them to their activities on the two nights per week he has them.
I’m wondering what the effect on child maintenance would be if he is successful.

To put you in the picture, he chose to move ten miles away, he chose the days he takes them which coincide with my eldest’s activites (I specifically asked him to chose another day), he literally takes them the bare minimum to prove overnight care: bedtime the first night, school next day, then drops them at 8.30am the last day (regardless whether school is on or not!)
I drop them at his house on the first night too.

So will there be an effect on the maintenance he pays? Thank you

What is travel allowance and where is he claiming this? I've never heard of it - maybe I should start claiming it 😂

I'm not sure if travel allowance work if you do a drop off to.

I don't think for a minute the travelling around he does with the children would count.
As for travel. if its 10 miles even if he can claim ( no idea really ) it won't be much.

He is just spitting his dummy out. Ignore him and tell him to discuss it with CMS

He is having a laugh. He will only have money reduced if he has extra overnights.
Travel money!!!!! 😂

He’s being an idiot, searched him right

He can apply for a ‘special expenses variation’ for the cost of fuel to travel between his home and yours. However, he can only claim this if the fuel exceeds £10 a week.

Yep it is the ‘special variation’ he’s looking for.
It’s a weird thing not many know about, but he obviously does! Twat!
If I drop them on the first night and he essentially brings them home on the 2nd day, in my mind, we’re sharing travelling, so it’s equally split.
The fact he has to take them to school is his own fault. He chose his days and absolutely refuses to do weekends so not really my issue that they go to school 😂😂
If u can imagine: he drops all 3 at school on day 1. (Round trip 1)
Collects my daughter at lunchtime (she’s at nursery). (Round trip 2)
Collects other two at school close (Round trip 3)
...the fact that he could faff around for 2.5 hours in town whilst the nursery child is at nursery, or take her to the park after nursery and wait for the other two seems outwith his capabilities, so he’s essentially adding on a trip or two!

Then if my daughter has something on the nights she’s there, he has to take her to those activities.

It adds up to about 5 trips per week so about 100 miles all in. I probs do double that running about thru the week with them all 😂

Not sure what the cost is per mile but even if the cms say 17p per mile, that’s only £17, so £7 above the £10 allowed. However, he’s making it that way by being uneconomical in his travelling, and choosing days when my eldest has her clubs. And why exactly should I pay for him to take the kids to activities?!! I bloody pay for the activities! He contributes only cms money, I pay for everything else even down to pjs for their overnights at his!!!

Sounds like a fair amount of driving but totally understand that you do a lot of driving too! I suppose it depends what his motivations for reducing payments are. If he is genuinely struggling to afford cms payments and his time with them or if he just wants to make things difficult for you. My husband could probably reduce maintenance payments for driving but chooses not too as it would be quite petty and there’s no need to if he can afford it.
I think the special variation thing should only really apply when one parent moves really far away which makes it difficult for the other parent to visit their kids due to the cost.
Just try to rise above it if you can and let cms decide. He sounds petty and you don’t need the stress.

Pretty sure there is a set amount and it is if they are travelling hundreds of miles -not sure if that helps.

Never heard of this. My dp travels 11 miles to collect is dc. Then back.
The following day drop to choir again 11 miles and back. Then the day after return home and back iyswim

He chose to move from his dc so he wouldn't dream of asking to lower it. And it's once a fortnight.. So three round trips. Prob costs around £20 in fuel. But that is being a parent.
Surely if your ex. Did get this it Would be pence..?

At one point a few years ago I was driving 500 miles a WEEK to keep to the schedule and never got a penny!!

I phoned the cms, and apparently it is ‘a thing’.
The travel cost over £10 per week is deducted from the paying parent’s gross income before any calculations are carried out, so apparently it works out as very little unless ur doing serious mileage.

He is such a prick, this is one of the most hilarious things I’ve read

My DD's ex moved house twice further away within 14 months. He literally can't move any further now or he would be in the sea - and then applied for this variation. He also refuses to collect her on Friday after school for her fortnightly contact; meaning she travels 2-3 hours each way for one Sat-Sun overnight each time, and pays for the priveledge too. Pays way more than the mileage deductionnle

Oops. Was going on to say as he is self-employed and gets a new car each year whilst working from home we lose out by waaay more than the mileage allowance. Sociopathic prick.