If you're making a benefit claim,
you should always report your child maintenance arrangements to your Jobs and Benefits office
, including how much you are receiving and how often you receive it, even if you don't think it will affect your claim.
What is the law on child maintenance UK?
Paying child maintenance is a legal responsibility, although one separate from parental responsibility. Child maintenance must be paid for any child:
under the age of 16
.
under the age of 20 if in full-time non-advanced education (e.g. A-levels or equivalent)
Does child Support go down if the father has another baby UK?
Yes, it reduces it
, but quite in the way you say (assuming he's living with the new baby) – they knock off a percentage for the child in his household first, and then work out for you 20% of what's left.
Is child maintenance deducted from universal credit?
16. Child maintenance payments.
Any child maintenance payments you receive will not affect your Universal Credit payments
.
Do I have to pay child maintenance if I'm not on the birth certificate?
If an unwed father is not listed on the birth certificate, he has no legal rights to the child. This includes
no obligation to paying child support
and no rights to visitation to custody or child support. If no father is listed on the birth certificate, the mother has sole legal rights and responsibility of the child.
What income is taken into account for child maintenance?
On the basic rate, if you're paying for:
one child, you'll pay 12% of your gross weekly income
. two children, you'll pay 16% of your gross weekly income. three or more children, you'll pay 19% of your gross weekly income.
Do I still pay child maintenance if my ex remarries?
The answer is no.
When parents divorce, the absent parent (“paying parent”) is obliged by law to pay child maintenance to the parent caring for the child (“receiving parent”)
.
Can I go after my ex husband's new wife for child support UK?
There are no grounds for reducing child maintenance on the basis that your ex-wife is living with a new partner
. Your obligation to pay child maintenance continues regardless of your ex-wife's circumstances.
Do I have to pay child maintenance if it's 50/50 Custody UK?
If you have shared care for at least 52 nights a year, you don't need to pay any child maintenance
.
Can I refuse to pay child maintenance UK?
If you're a separated parent responsible for paying child maintenance and live in England, Scotland or Wales,
the Child Maintenance Service can take legal action against you for missing a payment or not paying the amount due
. This legal action can force you to pay the child maintenance you owe.
Do I legally have to pay child maintenance?
Arranging child maintenance
When possible, you should make sure your child is looked after by having an effective maintenance arrangement in place.
Both parents are legally responsible for the financial costs of bringing up their children
, even parents who don't live with their children.
What happens if I don't pay child maintenance UK?
CMS can take you to court over unpaid child maintenance
. They can apply for a court order to take legal action. This is a ‘liability order'. If the court grants the order, CMS can then legal action against you.
Does an unemployed father have to pay maintenance?
[1]
If a parent is unemployed and does not receive an income the Maintenance Court may order that assets be attached and sold to pay for the maintenance of the minor child
. In the worst-case scenario failure to pay maintenance can also be deemed a criminal offence and may be susceptible to criminal prosecution.
Do you pay child maintenance if unemployed?
You are still obligated to pay child support when unemployed
. If you skip payments, you will still have to pay them eventually, sometimes with interest. Or you may be found in contempt of your child support order, which could mean fines or even jail time.
Can child maintenance be reduced?
If payments are reduced or stopped (unless agreed between you), you will be in breach of the court order
. If you genuinely can't meet payments because your income has fallen, you can ask the court to reduce the amount of child maintenance you need to pay.
Can you claim child maintenance if father not on birth certificate?
Yes you can
. My ex wasn't on DD's birth certificate and he still had to pay. I think if they say the child's not there's then they are asked to take a paternity test to prove this.
What legal rights does a father have?
Based on this a married fathers rights over a child include
the rights to make decisions concerning the legal matters, as well as educational, health and welfare and religious matters
. A father's rights over a child will also require him to provide food, clothes and shelter for his child.
Can I pay child maintenance direct to my child?
If parents reach an agreement over child support, and there is no Child Maintenance Service or court involvement, then it is possible to agree to pay the child maintenance direct to the child
.
When can I stop paying child maintenance?
Maintenance does not stop at 18
Most people believe that maintenance stops when a child becomes a major. This is wrong in law. A parents' duty to support their child does not terminate when the child becomes a major,
when the child turns 18 years old
, but only when they become self supporting.
How far back can I claim child maintenance UK?
There is currently no time limit for how far back CSA can claim arrears from
. So, even if you've not heard about your child support payments for many years, you may still receive a call or letter about it in future.
Do I have to pay more than child maintenance?
Yes, you are not obliged to pay anything more than your child maintenance sum
. I would however encourage you to consider any requests on a case by case basis. Ultimately the money is to pay for your child and so you may want to pay a little extra on one-off occasions so that your child doesn't go without.
Does marriage affect child maintenance?
Whether or not you have remarried, or your ex-partner has remarried,
does not affect the obligation to continue paying child maintenance
.
Can my partner's ex wife claim my money?
But
she cannot claim against your monthly income
. That is your money – not your partner's nor his ex-wife's. But, if the divorce and financial settlement have been sorted then the impact of you living together is more limited.
Does child maintenance change if you move in with someone?
If you're receiving child maintenance from your child's other parent,
there don't need to be any changes to your arrangement, unless your children are going to be spending a different amount of time with their other parent
.
