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Child Maintenance Payments
NE5
Posts: 555 Forum Member
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stop when the child is 20, according to the website. Unless they stay on at University, but what about continuing at college ? NOT university.
https://www.gov.uk/when-child-maintenance-payments-stop
"Child maintenance payments usually stop when the child reaches 16 (or 20 if they’re in full-time education not higher than A-level or equivalent). But there are some situations in which they’ll stop sooner."
https://www.gov.uk/when-child-maintenance-payments-stop
"Child maintenance payments usually stop when the child reaches 16 (or 20 if they’re in full-time education not higher than A-level or equivalent). But there are some situations in which they’ll stop sooner."
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*waits for jra to turn up*
Seriously though, my mum stopped paying child maintenance on my 18th birthday as agreed between her and my dad. I have heard some parents stopped on 16th birthday, the day the child completed their secondary education, or the end of the first year at college or university.
She is 20 at the end of the year but talking about trying again at college. I don't really see why I should carry on paying her mother money, particularly if she now MUST sign on the dole or whatever happens now she is not going to university....which I suppose is the real question. What does she do now at this age ?
You are under no obligation to pay her mother money any more. The maintenance money (if you still are bound by it) can go direct to your daughter or the education establishment I think.
I'm not bound by anything once she is 20, anything I do will be voluntary. If she chooses to go to college again, does she have to sign on now, the alternative being if she goes to uni she gets a grant ?
Mind you he used every excuse under the sun for cancelling the direct debits throughout the years & probably owed me thousands by the time he decided he wasn't going to pay any more.
I know of someone who is still paying child maintenance for his daughter who is 22 this year & finished her education at 18. It's his choice to keep paying for his daughter & he's never missed a payment or ever been asked to continue. She is now pregnant & he's still paying. He's not been a perfect dad to his daughter in most ways, but financially he's gone above & beyond what's expected
What's she going to do when she suddenly has to stand on her own feet?
He's not wealthy, she's his only child & I think he's still paying out of guilt for not being there as she grew up & her basically never seeing him (he's always just posted the money through the door & never spent any time with her at all since the day he left when she was a little girl). It's his way of trying to make it up to her.
She does stand on her own feet, she was working (albeit a part time job as that's all she could get) until last week, her mother says that her dad's maintenance payments pays for her rent so she doesn't see the money herself except in the respect that it helps her mother & benefits her in that way.
I really think that when she eventually gets her own place, he'll just post the money through her new door instead, but hopefully he'll take the time to get to know & have a relationship with his grandchild when it's born.
But now, if she doesn't get to university, and is 20, and should be looking for a job or going to college and is entitled to money from the state, it becomes her choice. You can't pay forever. Doing this at 20 is a bit ridiculous anyway . I'm not forcing her to do anything, I hoped she would have got a place and I would have helped her but either way those payments stop when she is 20 because she surely must be getting something from the govt instead of me sending money like this.
You needn't to feel guilty for stopping child maintenance. It doesn't affect your role as a father. What you could do is let CSA, daughter and her mother know that you'll stop paying in, say, three or six months' time. That will give them time to sort out their own financial situations.
At 20, your daughter should know enough to apply for financial assistance if she does need it. Offer your help and support in finding information and such. There are many ways you can support her without involving money.
My kids regard their stepdad as 'dad' needless to say.
Once I got a well paying job I helped my mum out all I could, and she would do the same for me again in a heartbeat.
You've done your bit......now it's her turn to learn to stand on her own feet otherwise she won't ever make anything of herself. It's a hard world out there and there has to come a time when a parent stops holding the 'childs' hand.
You form a unique yet admirable, minority.
Parents with residency/families that don't split up, have to support their child, however they need it, even further into young adulthood so I don't see why the non resident parent, in these situations, shouldn't be compelled to contribute it necessary as it is not a matter of choice for the parent with whom the child has grown up...
I have never got how my ex could make that decision not to support his kids financially in any way (his excuse always was he wouldn't give them money because I'd spend it - which is pathetic) - and how the state allows him to continue to get away with it. But then you reap what you sow, as the children are now old enough to have figured out that he pays nothing, and does nothing for them - and they have already said they want no contact with him when they turn 16. Kids who are unsupported by the non resident parent can and will reach their own conclusions.
Thanks! I just think it's normal though. Prescence more important then cash!
It's been me and he since he was 2- so ten years.
If I was desperate I could ask but equally don't want my ex skint and unable to cole cause of me being needy.
Works for us. Might not for others.
all the prom stuf got sorted by the way
but this is my issue with the CSA its an arbitrary percentage of your wage with no consideration of someone's personal circumstances (I do realise that people will lie to get out of paying it but unless you can produce proof of debts/bills/etc then you should pay the full amount )
but I don't think its right that I was practically "forced into poverty" without some leeway/consideration
ill just end up waiting for the csa to contact me and let me know when I stop paying for the kids and when I do I will set up a bank account for each individual child (away from the one their mum has set up)
Does being an absent parent take away all parental responsibility at a particular age? Surely a child is part of the parent for as long as they live, not just to some arbitrary date when they don't need financial help?
Does this mean that a married couple with children can cut them off financially at 20?
Yes at that age they should be self sufficient. If the parents wish to contribute then that is up to them but they should be under no obligation to support them financially.
I was self sufficient through A levels and Uni because my parents couldn't afford to support me and I wouldn't have expected them to.
Whether they should cut them off financially is a matter for the family alone, but yes, you can at the age of 20, and in my opinion ought to be able to legally dissolve your legal financial responsibility to another person when they reach the age where the law deems them in other areas to be an adult.