Child Maintenance and Benefits

Well to be honest, I don't begrudge paying the money as it is towards our children. Its just when things are not going right (for her) its me that is attacked. She says she is skint at the moment, and i sympathise.

However this was her request we seperate, and now I am starting to get somewhere she drops it on me she wants more money than I am paying.

She knows I am having to pay my sister back the money she lent me for finding a house (my sister needs it for her wedding) and we agreed to the reduced amount, but now I am in a situation where by i have to pay two people, live, by presents for my childen for birthdays and Xmas, and we have been getting on ok, laughing and joking, but I don't want her to get all nasty, get the CSA involved and leave me potless


ARGHHH

I don't think anyone begrudges money for the kids, but you also have to live too. It might be worthwhile just checking on the CSA calculator (on their website) to see how much you should be paying, and if it's less than you're paying at the moment, maybe you could casually point it out to her. That may then stop her asking for extra, or prevent her from being nasty if you refuse extra. However, if she does turn nasty, there's nothing to stop you opening a case with the CSA for maintenance.

For what it's worth, we know how you feel. My husbands ex is on benefits, and he paid over and above his CSA payments due to her demanding more money all the time .. school trips, uniform Etc., and she is on benefits and actually had more money than we did!! Now we have residence, and she hasn't contributed a single penny in maintenance since my stepdaughter came to live with us. My stepdaughter did ask her if she could buy her some new boots, but she said she couldn't afford it. So, we've put in a claim for maintenance, but it will only be for £5 pw. I suppose some would say it's not worth bothering, but we feel she should pay something towards her child.