Child maintenance

[Gracie2368]

Hi

How much is the average child maintenance payment please? I don't know income so can't work it out by % of income. The payment is being offered by exs parents as he is apparently too skint to pay anyhing. They haven't always been involved in sons life, turned up a year or so ago and will start paying this month. Offered 200 a month, is this a decent/fair amount? Doubt I'd get much at all from dad if tried, he is apaprnwtky struggling and has a baby at home to support. My son is 8.

Thanks in advance!

Depends on his wage there's no set fee.

I’d take it op. If you don’t know what income is to be taken into account it could calculate as lower it could calculate as higher. Take it while it’s offered but don’t rely on it. Maybe put it straight into a separate account so it’s there if you need it. You could go for CMS or whatever it’s called. You could get more, less or buggar all.
(Speaking as a single mother of a 19 year old son whose ‘father’ never paid a single penny. He though has a history of violent stalky behaviour and I chose not to poke the hornet’s nest and the price I paid was to be left alone. In hindsight - the best decision I ever made.)

It’s a percentage of the non resident parent’s income so there’s no average. If you’ve applied through the CMS and he doesn’t have to pay then I’d take anything from his parents as a nice gift.

It sounds bette than the nothing you were expecting from him. I'd take it, and be grateful that although they may not have been in your sons life much, they are now trying to do their best by him, even though it's not their responsibility.

Thanks everyone, funnily enough I was about to ask dad for some maintenance and go through the official chanel if needed, but his parents offering this beat me to it! I reckon they are just trying to stop me asking his dad as dad apparently can't manage. I really do need the financial support, I'm unable to work due to health and my poor mum has been financially supporting us for years because dad hasn't been around... i get its done on percentage of income so is not clear but I wasn't sure if anyone had private arrangement experience of how much dad's usually pay (if/when they do). I'm happy they're in sons life but unfortunately dad isn't great and is already letting son down/upsetting him. It's clear (and son has already worked out for himself) new family is more important and he isn't a priority 😪

My daughter has been offered a payment of £150 per.mth by her Baby daddy.
We think as an engineer he earns between £35,000 to £40,000 per.annum gross.
£150 seems very low to me, am I right or wrong please ??..my daughter doesn't want to go through the legal route but, will if needed.
Could you give a ball park figure of what would be a fair amount for an 8month old baby boy.
She has had no money so far.
Thank you.

It sounds low to me if he's on a good wage, but as the other replies said it's done by percentage of the wage. I also think they take into account if they're supporting any other children financially as well. I have no idea of my exes wage so had no clue what's reasonable in my case. But here is a link to a calculator that may be useful for you if you have an idea -

www.gov.uk/calculate-child-maintenance

Good luck to your daughter, I hope she starts getting something reasonable!