Primary Carer

Hello,

Our Childcare Rota.

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Sunday: Mam till 530, Dad Overnight
Monday: Dad all day (drop off at school and pick up). Dad overnight.
Tuesday: Dad drop off at school, Mam picks up. Mam Overnight.
Wednesday: Mam drop off. Dad pick up. Dad overnight.
Thursday: Dad drop off. Mam Pick Up. Mam overnight.
Friday: Mam Drop off, Mam pick up till 530. Dad overnight.
Saturday: Dad till 530. Mam overnight.

School Holidays.

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Sunday: Mam till 530, Dad Overnight
Monday: Dad all day and overnight.
Tuesday: Dad drop off at mams at 9am, Mam Overnight.
Wednesday: Mam drop off at Dads at 9am. Dad overnight.
Thursday: Dad drop off at mums at 9. Mam overnight.
Friday: Mam pick up till 530. Dad overnight.
Saturday: Dad till 530. Mam overnight.

THE QUESTION: I am dad of a 4yr old boy. Am I the primary carer here? 4 nights a week but less day time? I am being asked for £57 a week as payment to my ex based on an assessment from the CSA website.

Barry.

PS CB and CTC go to my ex. School/Doctor etc is to my house. I never left the family home, she did and left him here. If he is ill he stays where he was when he took ill (but never really has been). Clothes etc are split down the middle. Small costs of out of school clubs are paid by mum.

As I understand it, the Primary Carer is classed as the person who claims the Child benefit.

Therefore, legally you would be the non-resident parent (seems mad, I know!).

Therefore your ex would be entitled to a percentage of your income as child benefit (its 20% for 2 kiddies, can't remember what it is for 1 child, 10 or 15% I think).

Then every night that your child stays overnight with you, this payment is reduced by 7%.

If you have him for 4 nights a week your payment should be reduced by 49%

It doesn't seem right that you are not the Primary Carer, ultimately he lives with you in the FMH.

My first course of action would be to call the Child Benefit people. They might have a formulae to decide who is the Primary Carer and, therefore, who should be receiving the Child Benefit and, indeed, Child Tax Credits.

Then the Child Tax Credit people followed by the CSA.

You are going to have a lots of people to call but it isn't right that your ex is claim the Child Benefit and Child tax Credit when she doesn't reside with him the most.

Good Luck and please keep us informed, it might help other Wikipeeps.

Mumsty