Is CMS paid in arrears?

cmsquagmire · 2024-08-27T16:03:41+00:00

My ex is champing at the bit to stop paying CMS for our eldest child who is going to uni in Sep --and despite earning 6 figures is not providing them with any direct financial support 🤬.-- He has apparently worked out what the reduced payment will be for our younger children and already updated the DD accordingly (he pays me direct). This is due to go out on the 1st Sep. My question is whether this is correct as I thought CMS was paid in arrears? So does the next payment in fact cover August and if so, it would factor in our eldest as it has previously. Presumably then CMS will write to me with an adjusted payment schedule for the remainder of the qualifying year and payments are reduced from the Oct payment (covering Sep)?? Can anyone tell me which it is please - advance or arrears ? Feeling a bit stressed as I am a key worker on a low ish income and conscious that even though I will be supporting my eldest on my own I will obviously no longer be receiving child benefit and I think my UC top up will also be reduced as well as CMS so Sep-Oct are literally unknown quantities income wise. It makes my blood boil that a high earning biological parent is not legally required to provide any financial support to their student child but that's a whole other thread.

MouseofCommons · 27/08/2024 17:14

I think it is actually.
When I moved from CSA to CMS I had to go almost two months (over Xmas!) until the first payment. That was a bit brutal.

socks1107 · 27/08/2024 17:15

It's an arrears. I've had the same argument with my ex this month and he's said he now knows it's a full payment on 1st September.
Whether or not he pays it is another matter. But your right it's in arrears

socks1107 · 27/08/2024 17:16

Cms also confirmed this on the phone to both of us

Shushquite · 27/08/2024 17:17

I don't have your answer. But hasn't cm given you a payment calendar? They gave me one and it is due to be recalculate September this year. But my payment shouldn't change until November.

What does your one say? I would threatening my ex with a hit to his credit score. If he doesn't pay what he is ment to, when he is ment to, the person I spoke to over the phone, said it will hurt ex credit record. If he pays late and I report him.

violetsparkle · 27/08/2024 17:17

Yes, like the salary usually is

firstpregnancy1 · 27/08/2024 17:24

Hasn't the age gone up to 20 if in full time education?

Original poster

cmsquagmire · 28/08/2024 01:20

Thx so much all. Good to know for sure @socks1107. I knew I couldn't be the only one in this situation. I'm very sad for all our kids being dropped like hot potatoes.

@Shushquite - mine recalculates in Spring and as he earned even more last year 🙄 it went up and funnily enough he wasn't so quick then to change the DD. I didn't report but wish I had. The only paperwork I've had was from CB and they said no action was needed and they would update CMS - or was it UC. I think I do need to phone them tomorrow and find out. I really do need the new plan so I can budget.

@violetsparkle sadly no. It all stops at the end of this month for young people who are 18 and moving onto uni/ higher education. The only exception is if they are staying on in further education, eg doing a longer course or resits at college. So it literally means the paying parent is absolved of any financial commitment overnight and instead the receiving resident parent bears the full brunt of financially supporting their student child. I am more than happy to do this and I will love having them home again in the hols and setting them up properly but it is morally wrong that the other parent on 5x my income (& living in a multi income home) gets off Scott free. I don't have a partner but again it defies logic that if I did, their income would be taken into account but not the biological parent. My child is very low contact with their Dad due to his behaviour but my goodness I would love us to be able to put his address & salary down for student finance as then he would be expected to fully top up the loan for my child to the tune of about £5k a year. In theory. I doubt he actually would. It does make us smile thinking about it though! Have to find the humour in it all.

OP posts:

Original poster

cmsquagmire · 28/08/2024 01:22

Oops! Sorry @violetsparkle. Meant to tag @firstpregnancy1 on the last point.

OP posts:

socks1107 · 28/08/2024 07:07

My ex tried to stop it in June! Cms were having none of it, horrible man. He tried to stop it three months early!

Won't even give his daughters £10 towards a lunch at university now but thats on him and how they feel about him.

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 28/08/2024 07:17

cmsquagmire · 28/08/2024 01:20

Thx so much all. Good to know for sure @socks1107. I knew I couldn't be the only one in this situation. I'm very sad for all our kids being dropped like hot potatoes.

@Shushquite - mine recalculates in Spring and as he earned even more last year 🙄 it went up and funnily enough he wasn't so quick then to change the DD. I didn't report but wish I had. The only paperwork I've had was from CB and they said no action was needed and they would update CMS - or was it UC. I think I do need to phone them tomorrow and find out. I really do need the new plan so I can budget.

@violetsparkle sadly no. It all stops at the end of this month for young people who are 18 and moving onto uni/ higher education. The only exception is if they are staying on in further education, eg doing a longer course or resits at college. So it literally means the paying parent is absolved of any financial commitment overnight and instead the receiving resident parent bears the full brunt of financially supporting their student child. I am more than happy to do this and I will love having them home again in the hols and setting them up properly but it is morally wrong that the other parent on 5x my income (& living in a multi income home) gets off Scott free. I don't have a partner but again it defies logic that if I did, their income would be taken into account but not the biological parent. My child is very low contact with their Dad due to his behaviour but my goodness I would love us to be able to put his address & salary down for student finance as then he would be expected to fully top up the loan for my child to the tune of about £5k a year. In theory. I doubt he actually would. It does make us smile thinking about it though! Have to find the humour in it all.

He's awful. Have you told his mum? I'm considering writing to my exes mum asking him to provide adequate finances, as the CMA are less than half of nursery fees