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Lone parents

Use our Single Parent forum to speak to other parents raising a child alone.

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Original poster

How much maintenance do you get?

56 replies

harman · 27/10/2004 21:52

Message withdrawn

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

fairyfly · 27/10/2004 21:54

It is not enough no, good luck

charliecat · 27/10/2004 21:54

my dp pays £75 a week for one ds.

charliecat · 27/10/2004 21:57

Just had a look at the csa calculator, if he earnt 400 per week he wouls have to pay you 100 a week for them...what does he earn?

charliecat · 27/10/2004 21:59

if its 600 it 150
800 is 200...etc etc..

Caligula · 27/10/2004 21:59

It all depends on xp's income. Mine is a job dodger, so is generally on income support but sometimes in a mcjob that he's been forced to do. He is supposed to pay £5 per week for both children (ie£2.50 each.) So far in 2 years, he's paid £21. CSA are calculating arrears!

Don't go to the CSA unless you are absolutely certain that they will calculate your DP's contribution as lower than £300 a month. I don't like to give you bad news, but the maximum contribution is 15% of his income (the fact that you're paying 90% of yours is neither here nor there). Work out what his income is (if you know) and if 15% is higher than £300 then CSA might be worth it. If not, don't involve them. HTH.

Caligula · 27/10/2004 22:00

Sorry, Charliecat's probably right, it's 25% not 15%.

charliecat · 27/10/2004 22:00

Heres the calculator

charliecat · 27/10/2004 22:01

I think its 15 % first child, 20 with 2 and max 25%

Original poster

harman · 27/10/2004 22:01

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OP posts:

Caligula · 27/10/2004 22:02

Yes, surprisingly common how divorce makes men suddenly earn or own nothing!

charliecat · 27/10/2004 22:04

so thats about half hes meant to be paying then...hes his own boss yeah? Do you happen to have any old payslips or his, the csa must surely be used to blokes dodging it...and if you could prove hes underpaying himself...

Original poster

harman · 27/10/2004 22:16

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OP posts:

jojo38 · 27/10/2004 23:45

I dont get any!

Well, once I did, now I don't.

Caligula, you have it all sewn up hun, you are so witty and so clever... I wish I were you.

I love your comments about how men suddenly earn/own nothing when divorce happens.. you are so right, again.

I used to get nearly £800/month. he's still doing the same job, paid more probably yet told me he lost his job, (2yrs ago) which I know to be so unlikely, and now has a job with the same company, works abroad still, visits other sites, stays over etc... but suddenly doesnt' get paid for it. Oh, he has been given an assessment... £17.00 a week for two children.
Eldest is 14, 6ft 1, size 14 shoe. Have you tried buying a pair of size 14s for a child? sox as well??? for nothing????

I am not a lone parent btw.. soon to be if dh carries on the way he is... but it is just as bad with my dh at the moment. He resents the lack of support...

Oh what a blabber gob I am... sorry... didn't mean to take over... got a lot on my mind... sorry sorry sorry....

tammybear · 28/10/2004 10:59

It should be about 15% for first child. My exp only gives me £25 a week

Tinker · 28/10/2004 11:07

I get £50 a month. Ha. And he must earn at least what I do

DillyDally · 28/10/2004 11:09

£300 a month for my lovely DD from the ex..I feel quite lucky now after reading these messages..

Caligula · 28/10/2004 11:13

thanks for the accolade Jojo, I thernk you, I thernk you (bow, bow)!

Luckily though, I haven't seen it all - I don't have the hassle of an xp who spends his whole life undermining me and my family and acting as though giving me crumbs from his table entitles him to have a veto on my life decisions. There are some things a fiver a week aren't worth!

beansmum · 28/10/2004 13:22

i get none, despite my ex having 2 jobs that i know of and earning over £500pw. He's a student so doesn't have to give me anything, he never goes to uni, he's too busy working.

anorak · 28/10/2004 13:27

Caligula, my ex was also told to pay £5 a week for 2 kids about 2 years ago. So far I have received nothing. The CSA are supposed to collect for me. Should I ring them or does this mean they can't get a bean out of him?

(Sorry but you sound as if you know all this stuff )

essbee · 28/10/2004 13:33

Message withdrawn

nikkim · 28/10/2004 16:53

I am interested in what you said Caligula about not going to the CSA as I feel it was a huge mistake on my part. I get £500 a month which is more then others have said granted, but
is a pittance in comparison to his earnings. Is it possible to have this relooked at by a solicitor - we are doing finaces now - or now that i have been to the csa is that it set in stone.

JoolsToo · 28/10/2004 17:02

This is really going to shock you all - I think!

Right - mate of dh got divorced a few years ago. He's was in his late forties. His wife never worked and he has two grown up children (20's) living at home, so obviously they're not dependent.
He had a job that took him around a lot and to be fair he met someone else (but also have to say his missus never made much of an effort) anyway this is all by the by.
Long story short - she's ended up with the house 2 wage earners at home and he has to give her £400 a month and the courts put no pressure for her to get a job!
Whatever went wrong in their marriage - I think this is totally unfair and judging by what I've been reading here lots of you with little children are getting a very raw deal indeed.

jojo38 · 28/10/2004 17:06

Caligula, you are welcome hun, you make my day a little brighter.

I wonder if any one has dumped the CsA and gone thro the court system? Just wondered if it is worth it? Knowing the justice in this country, I doubt it. I expect it would cost some too.

My ex is a director of his own company and works for another company. He is in an ideal position to pay himself as little or as much as he wants. I may as well have an intimate relationship with the CSA - even they said that this man is either very clever or very stupid... unfortunately he is clever as I know he has managed to hide his earnings before.

The thing is, we know our ex's to an extent and I know mine. I was married to him for 16yrs, and been out with him for 5yrs previous to that. What do the CSA think we are here for, do they not respect our opinions?

I threw the assessment back at the CSA and they sent it on for appeal. Some bloody chance.
I can remember my mum saying to me that no matter how amicable a split is, it always gets nasty where money is concerned. She used to work on an army base and it was the same there when the unfortunate wives used to come in and weep on her shoulder!
I didnt believe her at first, I thought that ex would at least maintain his children... ha! How wrong could I be!!

Bloody Csa are crap and need a kick up the arse. They are supposed to be investigating my dh (h at the moment) as his ex gets benefits coming out of her earholes... and arse. (its big enough) She doesnt' spend the maintenance on the children so h gives it to his daughter! (she is 18 now) CSA believe he is not paying - he has proved that he is, but they want more proof etc... he told them to stick it. they can't sort out my ex this way, why should he comply?

Unfortunately the whole thing is a moneygoround. As I said, life's a shit and then there's the CSA.

Im sure they are good for some but not high up in my estimations Im afraid.

Caligula · 28/10/2004 17:41

I don't actually see why a woman who has devoted her life to supporting her husband's career and raising his children should go and stack shelves in Sainsbury's when he decides he wants a younger model. When you've been out of the workplace so long, nobody is going to employ you. I have a friend who is educated, a playwright (big in Japan!) clever (she's an expert on nineteenth century social history and politics) and fifty, and the best job she managed to get was as a receptionist, wage £7K in London. That's probably why the courts awarded the woman you know £400 Joolstoo. Judges are aware that in spite of almost forty years of feminism, older women often aren't welcome on the planet, let alone in an office!

Anorak - the only time you get results from the CSA is when you write to your MP about them. Don't bother phoning them, it's just a waste of time and money, write every time, keep copies of the letters, and periodically hassle your MP. They still won't get you any money, but they do pay compensation (not something they advertise!) The amount of compensation I've received from them so far is almost the same as the amount my xp should have been paying. Ho hum.

Easy · 28/10/2004 18:54

Has anyone seen this in the Times

Apparently, the CSA doesn't have a duty of care to their "clients", so it doesn't matter if they muck up a claim at all

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