CMS found ex-partner’s undeclared income after years of no child maintenance

[littlebub11]

I split from my partner 2 years ago. It wasn’t an amicable split, he cheated and was evil and enjoyed rubbing my nose in it like it was me who did the dirty. He’s a narcissist!
We have 2 children together and even though he has always earned well, he would never help financially with the children.
I contacted the child maintenance service and for 2 years I was told he didn’t have to pay anything for his children as he was claiming benefits. ( he’s never been on benefits)
Yet he was still working for the same company that he’s been with for years and driving the same company van as well as owning his own home and income from a rental property.
He would happily smirk and say ‘they can’t touch me, I’m on benefits’
I asked the cms to look into his earnings, which they did and found out that for the last 2 years his income has been nearly 50k a year.
The cms are now recalculating and he’s not as ‘cocky’ as before.
Im awaiting the new calculation but have had hundreds of messages asking me to drop the claim as ‘this is what civil mothers do’ lol, he’s been anything but civil since the split.
He now wants to come to set up a private arrangement ( he doesn’t want to part with any cash) but has said that he can help with school uniforms or take one of the children out for meals occasionally to ‘help financially’ what a joke!
His lifestyle is has never reflected a ‘benefits ‘ income but now the cms have obtained his earnings from HMRC, he’s getting worried!
Has anyone been in this situation and what can I expect after them discovering his income! Surely they won’t come back with ‘zero to pay’. I don’t want to get my hopes up!

Don’t feel a second of guilt I hope you get s lot of back pay.

Well done you! I bet he’s squirming

Well done - I only wish this happened more often.

Fantastic! Well done you! I can only dream of this happening to me!

But also, isnt the payment £7 per week if they are on benefits, so although that's a ridiculous amount, he should have been paying all along!

They wouldn’t have said he was claiming benefits without proof, so he has been claiming benefits and committing fraud to do so.
He won’t just be hit with child maintenance, he’s going to face a benefits fraud probe.

They will come back with a calculation and it will be backdated as far back as they can prove his income since the claim opened. He’ll be given a payment schedule and will have to stick to it or they will start collecting it from him at a fee of 20% extra.

Do not cancel your claim. Do not talk to him
about finances. Direct him back to CMS every time he mentions it. And do not accept his offer of buying some uniform every so often. You take whatever CMS get from him.

Just be ready for a benefits fraud conviction for him, which could lead to job loss etc.

I hope someone who knows more will be along to advise, but I just want to say: what an absolute cock knocker!

Of course he suddenly wants to now set up a private arrangement!
These men make my blood boil.

I hope you get a lot of money backdated.

Enormous well done x

Just completely ignore the snivelling little cuntweasel, hopefully he’ll get his comeuppance quickly

He had the option to pay for his kids privately for 2 years.

Don't be bullied further.

Leave it in the hands of CMS.

@littlebub11 Do not agree to any private arrangement! Just sit back and wait for CMS - normally you should be getting what he ought to have paid for two years + every month going forwards. I am very happy for your sake. Don't ever trust that piece of shit with anything !

This is why a person should have to go to court to
prove they can’t continue employment at previous earnings levels to get maintenance reduced or set below the level at time of separation.

He's scum. I hate fathers who avoid paying for their kids. Take everything you can off him.

What goes around
Comes around!!
Fuck his private arrangement ..not put his hand in his pocket for two years for his own children.
That's the definition of a cunt right there.

Great news !! And what a weasel trying to make a private arrangement. Your time to smirk

Fuck him and the horse he rode in on.
Massive High Ten to you 🙌

Do not drop the claim and make it as uncomfortable for him as its been for you.
Do not let him chat shit to the kids and let it go unchallenged. Tell them the truth he is now being forced to pay the minimum having paid nothing for 2 yrs.

Any private arrangement would be a huge mistake.

He is very likely been committing benefit fraud so it will be absolutely lovely to see how this plays out...

One thing I do envy Americans on is how seriously they take child support. Non payment can (rightly) land you in jail.

This. It sounds like he has been claiming benefits on top of working. He could get into a lot of trouble and if he does he deserves all he gets. Don't discuss money with him at all. He will likely get a repayment plan. If he falls behind tell CMS.

They will calculate the arrears he owes to you and send him a payment schedule.

If he doesn’t pay you then you can ask the CMS to take it directly from his pay via the employer.

Well done in your tenacity OP. Please DO NOT drop the claim. I was also pressured with messages like that after leaving my ExH (I left so shouldn’t ask for anything), I did drop it and as a result received £150 per month until DS was 16, despite Ex earning far more than me for most of that time and owning a successful business.

Thanks for your replies everyone. I won’t be agreeing to anything. I’m letting the cms deal with it. He has taken the piss out of me long enough and watched me struggle financially and laughing and smirking in my face whilst he goes on expensive holidays abroad and drinks every weekend. I’ve no doubt in my mind that he claimed benefits to avoid paying but he failed to disclose his other income. Hes always thought he’s very clever but HMRC had all the info the cms needed to recalculate his income.

Do you have to ask CMS to take it directly from his pay? I had thought CMS did that anyway themselves (sent the instruction to the employer to deduct, that is).

No, because they charge an extra 20% so they don’t do it unless the guy fails to pay.

They send out a payment schedule. If he sticks to it then all is fine. If he doesn’t then he will be given extra chances, but if he keeps failing then that’s when you get on the phone to CMS and demand they move to “collect and pay.” You do have to push because they can be really shit. Then they will collect it from his employer, and charge an extra 20% on top as a fee. They will also charge the OP 4% so she will receive 96% of the calculated amount, whilst he is paying 120%.

I really hope that all the above is true. There was a thread this week about the best CF comeuppance and this would peak it for me.

Don't allow him any access to you, tell him he is to contact you solely via a parenting app, about contact with his kids, then block him on everything and enjoy the peace.

Absalutely brilliant, if you went ahead with the private arrangement that this loser is suggesting, he would pay you with Monopoly money and you could be right back to square one.

You are on the right track, let them persue him for all he is worth, he's a complete loser.

Well done, you and your children more than deserve victory.

Send him back a laughing and smirking emoji and report him to DWP 🤣😉

well done you !