Unusual

Hi,

My STBX walked out at the beginning of October 2008.

Our boys live with me. I pay for everything (house, bills, food, clothing, childcare, sports activities, etc.).

STBX provides childcare - he picks the boys up from school and brings them back to my house. He cooks dinner (which I have bought). He eats too.

STBX stays overnight 2 or 3 nights per week depending on my work. In the "normal" world, the boys would stay over at his and we would have shared care.

Should he be making a financial contribution towards the boys?

Am I still "parent with care"?

Thanks for any advice.

Hi, you could look on the csa web site it will give you a calculator which works out how much child support you are entitled to. It will ask you the number of nights the children spend in the care of the other parent.

Hope it helps

CSA website does not help at all. The website is geared for "normal" situations where the children go to stay with the other parent.

The children are at my house 7 nights per week, 52 weeks per year.

I pay for the house, all associated bill, all food costs, all clothing.

For CSA purposes the parent in receipt of Child Benefit is deemed to be the PWC.

My advice to you is to talk with your STBX and try and come to an amicable agreement with regards to finances for the children etc. If all else fails, like it more often seems to, then do ring the CSA, believe it or not they can be quite helpful!

I am sure they will tell you that as the children are with you 24/7 then he will have to pay you maintenance. Reductions on CSA calculations are only taken into consideration when they would be staying with him at his cost for overnight stays away from what is deemed their normal "home".

Depending on the number of children you have, this could be 20% for two children or 25% for three or more children of his net weekly income. As the children also reside with you then you will be classed as the parent with care and entitled to retain the child benefit payments. Please also speak to HMRC with regards to child tax credits if you haven't alreaday done so, assuming that you are illegible for this.
Please bare in mind that each parent has "parental responsibility" irrespective of who is named as the parent with care.

Perhaps you could give him a 'shopping list' so that on the way home from school he could pop into the local supermarket and pick up some supplies, out of his pocket!!!!

Damned if I would be supplying all his food for him

zara