How does CSA affect Income Support?

[newlifenewname]

I am in receipt of Income Support, Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit. This is all new to me as I've always worked previously.

My exDH has just started paying his CSA again for his two children but has arrears of around £5000 due to his laissez faire approach to payments. His total payment to me is now £382 per month for two children and I will receive my 2nd payment later this month which includes arrears.

My 3rd child has a different father and we are separated due to domestic abuse. Until now I have not had to claim CSA because it has not been safe to. Now though, I feel I can make such a claim as it is more distressing to dispute it and I have been allowing supervised access, etc. I need to do the forms tonight.

I'm just wondering, how does CSA payment affect other benefits. Is the payment figure reduced because of CSA income even though the IS is for me and the CSA is for the children.

Fillyjonk, are you around?

soprry to say bu the system is totally crap and does not allow us the mums to 'have themoney'

i am not sure about the arreas, but if you were working when they were due you can keep them.

but as far as i know you are only allowed to keep £10 a week ( well iam for one child) as i am on inc support too.

its so bloody unfair, and yes they r supposed to be changing it but i dont think it's untill 2008.

i havent been asked by inc support to give dets of my ex yet. he pays me on the quiet, well it goes into my bank but i havent declared it.

its silly of me, but i'll cross that bridge.

Basically because of the risk, becuase my ex dh knows this , he takes the mick and gives me money as and when, ie he sometimes just stops it for no apparent reason.

its shite.

i really hope tho, that you wil be able to keep what was owed to you when u were working.

Thanks, this is what I have been suspecting.

It is totally unfair and does not make ANY sense!

Your allowed to keep £10 of any CSA payment and the rest goes to the government to cover/pay towards your benefits. If the CSA payment is more than the IS payment then you wont get the IS payment.

If you dont declare any maintenance payments whilst on IS they can stop the payments and pursue a repayment of any monies paid out. Over a certain amount they will go down the fraud route and you can end up with a criminal conviction - not sure what the amount it though.

FFS! That is so utterly, utterly crap.

So, when exdh doesn't pay I have to go without for months and months while CSA try and recover the money?

I can't believe this, just when I thought I was going to be able to survive!

so, do I try and go back to work?

Just been and bought paper from next door and typically there are no jobs that I could do that are paying enough to cover childare/living, etc.

My usual work is too unreliable as I no longer have back up money if I don't have enough clients one week.

Fuck fuck fuckity fuck.

try and get a part time job so that you can claim CTC at a higher rate, 16 hours per week - no more no less.

how much roughly wuold the child tax at higher rate be for one child per week?