Child maintenance!

[KtLovesherboys15]

Hi, I'm asking on behalf of a friend! She split up with her now ex last Friday after a pretty violent outburst on his part and has spent the weekend at mine. He's left her with not a penny and when she got home he's taken everything of any worth from the house. We sat down yesterday morning and done a benefits calculator for her and their 3 children. It got to the housing benefit part and asked about child maintenance so we done an estimate for that and it came back that she would have to pay £20 a week towards the rent but couldn't give any info on council tax, so my question is would she have to pay more towards that aswel? He would have to pay 60 a week. I have advised her to get the ball rolling on everything including maintenance because after the way he's behaved and the situation he's left her in with the kids he deserves all he gets. She's entitled to income support and tax credits, but she's concerned about his reaction if she goes to child maintenance, her point being if most of it is taken into account and she's not actually left with much extra for the kids then is there really any point considering the grief she will get? She's not money grabbing just a desperate mum trying to do the best for her kids, she's not claimed benefits before so it's all new to her, and I can only tell her what I know and maintenance is new to me Aswell. Any info or advice I could offer would be appreciated thanks x

I'm pretty sure that maintenance isn't counted as income when applying for benefits. It used to be counted but RP (resident parents) were being left high and dry if their ex didn't pay up so the rules changed.

Definitely start a claim for maintence with CMS. If the ex is going to be an arse, he'll be an arse whatever but he'll paying for his children!

CAB is always a good source of advice re: what benefits your friend will be entitled to.

Thanks for your reply. I also thought that maintenance payments weren't taken into account but the calculator said otherwise. She said she would ask when she calls the council and see if they can be clearer on the matter. I also advised her to go to Cab and get some advice on her rights over the house and contents etc. It's private rented and they're both on the tenancy so she's worried he will come back because he has the right. A friend has offered to change her locks thinking she could tell her landlord she lost her keys or something. He really is an arse and will use all he can to make her life a misery. Hopefully she will soon be set up and can move on with his maintenance for their kids!