Child support agreement

[bridezilla14]

Hi there I was wondering if anyone can give me some advice, my day recently turned 18 six months ago and decided to go to university. My ex-partner and I had a private agreement of child support until she was 18 back in March , but I decided with my expartner that I would continue to pay up until she finished the school year.

Now our agreement was until she was 18, both parties agreed, my ex said that this would be better for them as I understood they where claiming other benefits.
Now my ex is refusing to talk about child support and saying that I should continue the payments all through university, apart from that, I would prefer to directly pay money straight into my daughter’s account rather than my ex as they have now rebelled against our agreement. Any advice would be appreciated

If your arrangement was purely private, there is no requirement for you to pay statutory Child Maintenance for your daughter once she goes to university. In other words your daughter's mother would not be able to make a Child Maintenance application beyond Sept and if there had been a Child Maintenance case open,this would close the first week of September.

Child maintenance is only payable via the statutory scheme for children in full time Non advanced education. University is advanced education.

Any arrangements beyond September can be as you wish and I'm sure your daughter will appreciate the support 😊

Its a private arrangement presumably?

She's 18... and presumably will live out for uni.
I'd pay your child directly.

My ex paid beyond 18 as both ours went to university. He split it 50% to me and 25% to each of them, but that was purely his decision, he was at perfect liberty to decide whether, how and who he supported, we were all just grateful he did so! ( His view was that, as I was still providing a home for them, he would continue to support that ( via me) until the children were able to support themselves- ie after university!

You are legally obliged to pay child maintenance until the September after full time education is complete so although you say you “decided” to continue to pay, your ex would have been able to open a CMS case had you stopped in March.

As per PP advice once she goes to University you are no longer legally obliged to pay a penny whereas your ex as the resident parent will be expected by the government to top up your daughter’s funds if her earnings mean your DD does not qualify for the full loan.

I agree it would be beneficial to continue to support your daughter. Perhaps you could frame it to your ex that you will contribute to your daughter and in return for housing her in the holidays your ex will therefore not have to contribute as much in term time?

I would like to think my ex would continue to contribute but based on past performance it’s doubtful which makes me very sad for my own daughter as it’s damaging for a person’s self esteem to think their parent doesn’t care about their future career or current wellbeing.