Child Maintenance (Help & Advice)

[DJ Barry Hammond]

So this weeks wages saw the first deduction from the Child Maintenance service and to be frank… bloody hell 

 

I’m sure others on here will have some experience of paying this and having done a quick search I saw no existing topics, so here goes with a couple of questions of my own before I look to get in touch with the organisation direct;

 

• Is the amount to pay a fixed amount or is if a fixed percentage of my pay? 
 

This makes a big difference given I’m postie (yes, shit day all round with today’s other news) and my week to week can fluctuate depending on overtime.

 

• I’ve had no input to the calculation, the CMA have made it based on their own research - how receptive are they to reductions - and are there any circumstances they consider other than ones published in their guidance such as number of nights the child stays with me and costs to maintain contact? 
 

Any other helpful hints and tips to help make the amount payable realistically manageable and you know - leave me with sufficient surprlus income to actual see my child - would be much appreciated.

[FoxesDeb]

4 minutes ago, DJ Barry Hammond said:

So this weeks wages saw the first deduction from the Child Maintenance service and to be frank… bloody hell 

 

I’m sure others on here will have some experience of paying this and having done a quick search I saw no existing topics, so here goes with a couple of questions of my own before I look to get in touch with the organisation direct;

 

• Is the amount to pay a fixed amount or is if a fixed percentage of my pay? 
 

This makes a big difference given I’m postie (yes, shit day all round with today’s other news) and my week to week can fluctuate depending on overtime.

 

• I’ve had no input to the calculation, the CMA have made it based on their own research - how receptive are they to reductions - and are there any circumstances they consider other than ones published in their guidance such as number of nights the child stays with me and costs to maintain contact? 
 

Any other helpful hints and tips to help make the amount payable realistically manageable and you know - leave me with sufficient surprlus income to actual see my child - would be much appreciated.

Have you used the calculator on the government website to work it out yourself, to check it's correct?

 

https://www.gov.uk/calculate-child-maintenance

 

You can take your pension contributions off the salary figure too, I'm not sure if that's clear on the calculator but I  remember it from when my husband was being advised by a solicitor over the same issue

 

 

 

[PAULCFC]

As above use the calculator!It's a lot simpler now than it was.

[Parafox]

22 minutes ago, DJ Barry Hammond said:

So this weeks wages saw the first deduction from the Child Maintenance service and to be frank… bloody hell 

 

I’m sure others on here will have some experience of paying this and having done a quick search I saw no existing topics, so here goes with a couple of questions of my own before I look to get in touch with the organisation direct;

 

• Is the amount to pay a fixed amount or is if a fixed percentage of my pay? 
 

This makes a big difference given I’m postie (yes, shit day all round with today’s other news) and my week to week can fluctuate depending on overtime.

 

• I’ve had no input to the calculation, the CMA have made it based on their own research - how receptive are they to reductions - and are there any circumstances they consider other than ones published in their guidance such as number of nights the child stays with me and costs to maintain contact? 
 

Any other helpful hints and tips to help make the amount payable realistically manageable and you know - leave me with sufficient surprlus income to actual see my child - would be much appreciated.

Mate, I have no advice nor any experience of this, but it sounds awful for you. There should be forums online where others share experiences and solutions to these kinds of issues and questions. Good luck, it can't be an easy thing to go through. 

[Jimothy]

The amount is fixed, but it won't let your net pay drop below a certain amount. 

 

They'll have asked your employer for an average earnings report over a certain period, which as you say may not be reflective of your actual current wages.

 

Can't offer any advice, my knowledge cones from a payroll perspective.

[Trumpet]

I get a letter at the end of every tax year which tells me how much I need to pay. I sometimes read it, but it’s usually way off the mark. For some reason it’s usually based on a tax year 5/6 years ago when I was earning considerably less. Fairly certain it doesn’t account for number of nights my child stays over, either.

 

Anyway, best advice I can give is the same as already mentioned - use the online calculator. Remove any of your pension contributions too. As an example, if you earn £100 and contribute 5% to your pension, in the earnings part of the calculator put £95.

 

The way I do it is if I get any pay rises, I plug it into the calculator and start paying that amount pretty much immediately. Has meant I haven’t had to bother with what the CMA say I need to do. You’ll have a much easier time if you have an agreement with your ex and pay exactly what you should. 
 

Drop me a message if you have any questions,  happy to help.

Edited 14 October 2022 by Trumpet

[jonthefox]

The more you earn. the more you pay. Seems wrong.

[Trumpet]

4 minutes ago, jonthefox said:

The more you earn. the more you pay. Seems wrong.

I don’t mind this so much, although maybe it could be banded similar to tax levels.

 

One of quite a few flaws in the system is when the receiving parent earns considerably more than the paying parent. As an example, the mother could earn 200k a year and the paying father 20k. The payments are calculated irrespective of the receiving parents income / wealth. 

[kyleolly]

I have my kids full time and have never bothered with cm but found it better to let the boys mum contribute what she can afford there's been times when she's contributed very little but she's earning quite abit now and buys them expensive Xmas presents holidays and school uniform so it's worked out well with her thinking she's in control. If child maintenance is the route she wants to go down I'm afraid you've just got to suck it up and pay it unfortunately you can appeal the amount and send them payslips