CSA or Private Arrangement ?

divorcelawyer wrote:

Hi there

The best people I have found to give this sort of advice is the benefit advisors at the CAB.

Sadly we live in a small town and the advisors there are next to useless. I went there twice with my own problems when my x2b walked out on me last year and they were hopeless !!! Didnt have a clue, all they did was tried to find things online - which I can do myself !! and the second time I went in, the Old fellow didnt even know quite HOW to get online !!

yes she can opt out , but she can't have both income support and CM, when you get income support or job seekees allowence you are allowed £10p/w from the child maintenance + your full income support or JSA.

Page 20 of the CSA book in this situation we make a full maintenance calculation using out standard process.however the parent with care will not recieve full child maintenance as well as their income support or income based jobseeker's allowence.this is because the Goverment keeps some of the money paid as child maintenace to make up for the money the parent with care has recieved in benefits.

Instead they recieve whatever benefits they're entitled to , plus a child maintenace premium.this can be any amount up to £10 a week of any child maintenace that the non resident parent pays.

I am sorry to be so thick but both she and I have spent hours looking through the CSA and Income Support sites - she insists that she will get the income support + the child maintenance and THEN the £10 on top of that !!! whereas reading it - I believe she will get income support and just £10. Can you clarify this please for me, many thanks.

I have been on income support i only got the £10 p/w plus £37.95 income support as i get carers allownce for my son.so you are correct income support + the £10p/w from the child maintnence thats not to say dad if he wants can buy the child clothes etc nothing wrong in that and can give the child pocket money too.

Hi there

Not sure if I'm right but I'm sure someone will correct me if not but if your sister is able do at least 16 hours work per week she would then be entitled to child tax credit + working tax credit + her wage + all the maintenance as its not taken into account and also council tax reduction. She would also be eligible for a certain amount of child care costs. Difficult I know I have 3 children but worth looking into as she would be much better off.

A good example is trying to get work in a school eg; dinner lady as it is school hours and term time only.

Hope things work out for her.

All the best

salina

but sadly a dinner lady won't take you to 16 hours only 7.5

Yes angel your right it would need to be topped up, one of my friends started as a dinner lady and now she also helps out in the office photocopying etc and she's a lollipop lady!

Where there's a will there's a way probably learning support assistant would be the ideal for us mums until children are older. While my divorce (which is taking ages) is going through the process I'm trying to get as much qualifications as poss on short p/t courses to help me get work after being a stay at home mum for nearly 10 years and I'm petrified!!

But I'm determined not to go on income support if I can.

Salina x