More government misery

[Bob Weasel Fox]

20% surcharge for people like me paying Csa

Well done you bunch of fvck wits

[Jon the Hat]

20% surcharge for people like me paying Csa

Well done you bunch of fvck wits

 

Have you misread that?  On the radio this morning they said £20 fee on application from both parties, and then a 4% surcharge ongoing, which would average £1 a week.

 

BBC do indeed say that.  It seems they are VERY keen for you to arrange this yourself - ie ditch the government involvement and pay your ex directly.

[Merging Cultures]

Under the new rules if an amicable arrangement cannot be reached the paying parent - usually the father - will have a 20% fee added to the maintenance payment, while the receiving parent will pay 4% to get the money.

The charges will be introduced later this year, and all single parents will be charged an upfront fee of £20 for registering with the new service.

[Rocket-Ron]

 

Under the new rules if an amicable arrangement cannot be reached the paying parent - usually the father - will have a 20% fee added to the maintenance payment, while the receiving parent will pay 4% to get the money.

The charges will be introduced later this year, and all single parents will be charged an upfront fee of £20 for registering with the new service.

 

And hopefully encourage parents to come up with a solution that is best for their children. instead of personal vendettas.

[Bob Weasel Fox]

And hopefully encourage parents to come up with a solution that is best for their children. instead of personal vendettas.

A lovely idea in theory Ron however my ex-wife has tried to get me sacked with my current employer playing dirty tricks and using our children as a tool in her evil games over the last few years. I fear coming to a mutual agreement is about as likely as the pope turning Muslim

[Guest MattP]

It's no wonder a lot of people don't like the current government when they jump to ridiculous conclusions like you have Bob there. At least read the policy properly before criticising!

[Houdini Logic]

It's no wonder a lot of people don't like the current government when they jump to ridiculous conclusions like you have Bob there. At least read the policy properly before criticising!

 

A lot of people have had 4 years to conclude they're a bunch of cvnts

[Guest MattP]

A lot of people have had 4 years to conclude they're a bunch of cvnts

 

And looking at the polls now a lot have also have the chance to see and judge that they are doing a pretty good job.

[Sir Fynwy]

And looking at the polls now a lot have also have the chance to see and judge that they are doing a pretty good job.

I'd judge they are doing a poor job and will be lucky if the false property boom doesn't destroy their electoral chances before the next election, decent growth is only showing up because of the massive collapse the ConDem austerity caused. I'd rather have a bit more money in my pocket than give it all to the tory backers.

[Houdini Logic]

And looking at the polls now a lot have also have the chance to see and judge that they are doing a pretty good job.

 

I'd put that down to Miliband's incompetence rather than the tories doing a good job

[Jon the Hat]

I'd put that down to Miliband's incompetence rather than the tories doing a good job

 

Incompetence like slating the austerity plan which has underpinned the recovery?  Like coming out with "too Far and Too Fast" and being proven wrong over and over again?  Funny that his incompetence seems to be around things the Tories have done right isnt it?  They are not perfect, but they undertood the risks to our economy and acted accordingly.

[Guest MattP]

I'd put that down to Miliband's incompetence rather than the tories doing a good job

 

Probably a bit of both in reality.

 

Miliband was still as woeful and devoid of policy long before we started seeing the real growth that has seen the Tories close up a 10-15 point gap.

[Houdini Logic]

Incompetence like slating the austerity plan which has underpinned the recovery?  Like coming out with "too Far and Too Fast" and being proven wrong over and over again?  Funny that his incompetence seems to be around things the Tories have done right isnt it?  They are not perfect, but they undertood the risks to our economy and acted accordingly.

 

If you ask the IoD I'm sure they'd agree.

If you ask the man on the street I'm sure they wouldn't.

[Bob Weasel Fox]

It's no wonder a lot of people don't like the current government when they jump to ridiculous conclusions like you have Bob there. At least read the policy properly before criticising!

Go on then MattP convince me otherwise

They have wrecked the industry I work in and are now bringing in this to hit me in the pocket even harder. Prospects for the future are bleak and I work bloody hard to provide for my family both current and ex for that matter

[Webbo]

Go on then MattP convince me otherwise

They have wrecked the industry I work in and are now bringing in this to hit me in the pocket even harder. Prospects for the future are bleak and I work bloody hard to provide for my family both current and ex for that matter

What industry have they wrecked and how?

[Bob Weasel Fox]

What industry have they wrecked and how?

I will message you Webbo

[Strokes]

Solar?

[Vardinhio]

I have a friend who pays a significant amount to his ex already, though she will 100% now say she needs more with this ruling. So what will this new rule mean? Basically it will put my mate further out of pocket and give his son 4% less money, all because his ex hates him. The poor bloke has already spent over £10k in the courts getting access rights which she keeps breaching with no consequence.

[Bob Weasel Fox]

I have a friend who pays a significant amount to his ex already, though she will 100% now say she needs more with this ruling. So what will this new rule mean? Basically it will put my mate further out of pocket and give his son 4% less money, all because his ex hates him. The poor bloke has already spent over £10k in the courts getting access rights which she keeps breaching with no consequence.

Well said that man

Exactly the sort of example that Supports my point

[Strokes]

My cousin has full custody of his lad, his ex pays no maintenance. Before he got custody he got hammered for maintenance, its a pretty sexist system.

[Merging Cultures]

I've never been on the system, nor know anyone who has, I guess I'm not very representative of society these days.

It seems to me that no matter what government is in place they can't get this system right. From what I can tell, the previous government relied on the agency to decide how much should be paid, which is expensive. The current government wants to push the Parents to decide how much should be paid, but seems to have set up a perverse set of incentives, especially if the mother does not like the father.

The agency should be self funded, it isn't fair that other tax payers pay for a failed relationship.

I assume payments are means tested on both sides based on total income for households, including new partners? And also based on the split of assets if there was a divorce involved?

It's really interesting, sad that it affects children in the end.

[Rincewind]

Sounds like it is another group being taken off stat figures to make things look better for the government. If you are not counted then others will things are good for everyone..Cot custing schemes which will cost more to implement but look good on paper.

[Guest MattP]

Go on then MattP convince me otherwise

They have wrecked the industry I work in and are now bringing in this to hit me in the pocket even harder. Prospects for the future are bleak and I work bloody hard to provide for my family both current and ex for that matter

 

I shoulsn't need too, JTH pointed out the difference in the second post.

 

Let me know what you do? Policeman I'll guess?

 

What industry have they wrecked and how?

 

Anyone who works at the JSA office ironcially could be out of work soon if this carries on.

[Captain...]

I've never been on the system, nor know anyone who has, I guess I'm not very representative of society these days.

It seems to me that no matter what government is in place they can't get this system right. From what I can tell, the previous government relied on the agency to decide how much should be paid, which is expensive. The current government wants to push the Parents to decide how much should be paid, but seems to have set up a perverse set of incentives, especially if the mother does not like the father.

The agency should be self funded, it isn't fair that other tax payers pay for a failed relationship.

I assume payments are means tested on both sides based on total income for households, including new partners? And also based on the split of assets if there was a divorce involved?

It's really interesting, sad that it affects children in the end.

 

Surely they should set a standard, and then if either party disagrees with that amount, then they should pay to take it to court. Personally I would go for the lower end, most parents are going to want the best for their kids, and not going to let them go without and if amicable will pay extra when needed to give them certain priveleges, if they can afford it.

 

Regardless of how much money someone has, it is still roughly the same to house, clothe and feed a kid, if they want to send the kid to private school, for example, then it is an arrangement they should come to together and not one where by the guardian decides to do something and then demands that the other parent pays for it.

 

There should be exceptions made for deadbeat dads who have no interest in their kid, but when 2 people both care for the child, then everything should be done to ensure an amicable agreement between the parents, so in that sense I support this change.

 

Guidelines and standards need to be set to ensure that quick and fair agreements are reached, without any government involvement. Then costs are only incurred if an amicable decision can't be reached.

 

I do disagree with it being a percentage of the money, which should be for the child, it should be a one off cost to reach a settlement, and further costs if one party wants to change the settlement.

 

What is going to happen to all the existing agreements? Are they going to start taking money off them now?

[Merging Cultures]

I agree, you'd think you could set a minimum cost based on all the data out there. It should be easy to say, in London it costs GBPxxx per month to feed clothe etc. in Leicester it costs GBPxxx, then decide based on income and assets of both households (not just the parents, but include their new partners if they have one), and decide who pays what.

 

I agree, the cost of those means testing appraisals should come when the partners divorce/separate, or a one off event when someone gets a new job or partner.

 

But there are ongoing costs of mediation, which should be paid for by the parents, unless they just pay direct into the partner's bank account and no further assistance is needed. 20% does seem high for mediation and admin.