the need to pay for your child doesn't seem to exist if you are unemployed and claim benefits?!

[Lellabee10]

Does anyone else experience a lack of child maintenance payments/financial support towards their child from their ex partner due to the fact that according to the law, if someone is unemployed and claiming benefits they will only ever have to pay £7 a week despite how much benefits they receive, and also despite whether they come into money another way?!

It is ridiculous but you can’t take what people don’t have income wise. I would like to see a system in place where someone who has substantial assets has to pay. All those self employed folk who apparently live on fresh air with a new car and a nice house should be liable.

I don’t get any maintenance for my children as my ex doesn’t work or claim benefits hasn’t in 6 years, it makes me laugh when I see people saying they will have no choice to pay, this is simply not true. Many don’t pay a penny and cms don’t do anything about it, there are no consequences.

absolutely. if these people owed money to anyone else, the baliffs would be sent round and they would have to give up their possessions. But child maintenance doesnt work the same. I asked the question; if the paying parent won millions on the lottery would he then be made to pay what he owes and the answer was no!

True what's also true is they won't adjust it after they set it so for example my ex got a job October the review was November nothing was showing on hmrc for his review so he continued to pay the 7 a week because that's what they told him to do he did up it to 10 occasionally but then take it off the following month

How does he survive?!

the biggest joke is when an ex offers no financial help, doesn't have the child any more than 8 hours a week and doesn't have them stay over ever, and in comparison to the default parent does absolutely nothing - they still by law have equal rights?!

He rents out his house…

Then he has an income, many people earn a living solely as a landlord and as such you are entitled to maintenance. Even more trouble if he isn't declaring it to the tax man. The fear of that being delved into might spur him into paying for his child!

no he is doing it illegally and isn’t declaring it so it comes up as NIL assessment on child maintenance, I can’t prove it as I need evidence for them to investigate (I’ve looked into it) and I don’t have any so can’t.

Yes! £30.42 a month for 4 kids. ‘Self employed’ but just went on holiday abroad, eats out and buys expensive clothes. Fraudulent if you ask me!

It's such an easy system to manipulate. My ex has no income on paper / no benefits. He is self employed so cooks his books.

It needs a huge overhaul, but I can't see it being any time soon.

I agree. There should be a minimum amount payable (and not £7 per week). If the NRP won't/can't pay it, then there should be the ability to confiscate assets or it should be taken off their state pension entitlement.

I totally agree with this. I dont understand why this isnt the case already

I also do not understand that if nrp has step kids living with them, maintenance to rp reduces. But nrp parters wage isn't taken into account.

Yes and he's been sanctioned for about 6 months now so not receiving even that.
Three children 7 and under

Somehow able to go out drinking, getting tattoos, had a wedding and a holiday.
I'm told he's selling 'unhealthy supplements' to get by, put it that way

I had £1 in 24 years
they claimed ‘he has no money’
he bloody did-he worked cash in hand and refused to pay as he ‘didn’t see them and she’ll only spend it on herself’
he had the bloody cheek to chase me through town once,screaming that I’d spent ‘his money’ on myself-he didn’t pay in the first place!
he couldn’t afford to support his kids,but could afford 4 holidays (abroad) a year,expensive clothes,a car/van and meals out while we froze at home with barely any food in the cupboards and me counting every single penny

csa where worse than useless-they just kept repeating that he was ‘skint’ and only had to pay £2.50 a month-which he failed to do and they failed to enforce it