Child support payments

[AdamW]

I've just been reading about the paramedic who was trying to sell medical equipment on eBay. He says he did it because he couldn't afford his child support payments.

Now, I don't have any first, or even secondhand experience of child support patients. I knew a woman whose ex-husband was paying the mortgage provided she didn't remarry, but there were no support payments.

So, do any of you know how much a man is stung for in these situations? I'd be interested to know if it is really as crippling as it is made out to be, or does the CSA take into account the fact that you might like to continue living indoors and eating?

 

[Thermo]

where did you see the story adam?

 

[jbonding]

16 years ago when i was 17 they assessed me on the average earning and charged me £375 for this and it worked out they wanted £95 a week, Its different now its a percentage of your wage for the first child, then less for the second and so on. but its up the wall for every ten cases they can do one, so thats 9 a day behind, 18 the next day and so on. i watched a program on it a few years ago and some genius came up with a maths formula for working it out and it was set, the only problem was he was the only one who could work it out

 

[littlemissstroppyknickers]

my ex partner is on income support, the same as me, and the benefits agency refuse to allow the csa to take £5 per week out of his benefits for child maintenance for our daughter, as they don't think he can afford it! it's hysterical! most fathers on benefits have to pay £5 per week from their benefits as i understand it, so why he has managed to get away with it is beyond me! the csa also told me that as he was on benefits they were unable to get the backlog off him for what he never paid whilst he was in employment! it's only a few hundred quid and £5 a week is nothing, but it's my daughter who loses that little bit of money, and that's what annoys me.

the system is laughable, and the sooner they sort it out the better for us mothers, not to mention the poor fathers who are stung for ridiculous amounts of money unfairly. both ways people are losing out and it puts a strain on what's left of the mother father relationship, which ultimately affects the children.

that's my opinion anyway.

 

[gord55]

Well said - the system is a shambles.

 

[AdamW]

I didn't know it went both ways like that. Must be very frustrating. I know a single mum who works very hard to support herself and her daughter, the father pays nothing towards the day-to-day upkeep of the child but rolls up with expensive birthday and christmas presents.

Thermo: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/4342750.stm

 

[pna]

Adam,
I think the start rate is 20 to 25% of salary for the first child, then proportionally less for subsequent children. However, I don't know that this is disposable income after rent/ mortage, bills, food etc, so people on low incomes may be disadvanted, whilst people on high incomes could think they are paying rather more than would be regarded as their 'share' of their children's upkeep.