New pensions provision and maintenance

[CardyMow]

I have discovered that as of next month, when the new pension rules come into action, I will lose 7.5% of my maintenance for my youngest two dc.

Because my Ex-P will now be FORCED to pay £90 a month into a pension scheme, and maintenance is calculated after pension contributions.

Currently, I get £238pcm maintenance for the two dc. This will drop to £220pcm. Which may not SOUND a lot - but the maintenance makes up roughly 1/3 of my total household income, so losing 7.5% of it is going to hit me HARD.

I am already struggling to absorb the loss of £700 that happened when my Ex-P walked out, I can't cover all my ESSENTIAL costs - so losing an extra £18 a month is going to mean that there will be one day a week that I LITERALLY can't get the dc to school, as it is too far to walk (physically, due to disability) for my DS2 (who is one of the dc this maintenance is paid for).

WTF am I going to do, and did the Government not SEE how this was going to affect Lone Parents whose Ex Partners are on a very low income already? Did they just not care?

I pay childcare when I work - I have never thought of asking XH to pay for half of it. When I am away for work, I do expect XH to look after the children more but I pay any after school care that is needed because of that. Plus as we calculate the maintenance each month depending on how many nights he has had them, as it does vary, then months where I work more, he will pay less maintenance.

Is the NHS scheme compulsory? He may automatically join unless he opts out but I don't think it's compulsory.

I remember my DH having a very similar discussion with his ex regarding DSD. She was putting her into nursery two days a week, so she could go back three days a week and wanted DH to pay the whold childcare bill.
Instead he offered to look after SD for a day and a half and split the remaining cost of the half day neither of them could cover. Oddly, she refused his offer........
He would happily help out more with childcare for her, but she refuses to let him (unless its court-ordered).
We happily pay the bare-minimum CSA rate because that way we can spend our money on SD when she is with us, we are not allowed any input into her life if she's not with us, so why would we pay more?

FFS. If I was Hunty I'd be fucking angry too.

LP's are being screwed over.

We lose some maintenance next year when they start charging for the CSA. It won't actually save the government any money as XP will more than likely threaten us again when he realises he has to pay more. So the police will be involved again. And it doesn't save the government any money by making me work as I pay almost nothing in tax and cost the NHS a fortune as I'm slowly wearing out due to stress.

What Meglet said. It is absolutely fucking inane for other (alleged) single parents to bash someone who gets a bit more of a pittance than they do when it's the system that is fucked by allowing NRPs to pay only the bare minimum. Really get some fucking solidarity you silly lot. And if you aren't a single parent then I hope you become one, because then you will learn that all your pathetic tripe about 'zomg being discriminated against for being married' is the biggest load of bullshit you have ever spoken. Sorry, I know I'm supposed to say I wouldn't wish it on anyone blah but actually you deserve it for being so ignorant. Go on then, delete me MN.