CSA and Child benefit

Father of one child has Shared Residence and greater 50:50 parenting time. CSA refuses to reduce his payments because Mother claims and gets the Child Benefit. See also Child Support Agency

He has to apply to the child benefit people. Get the forms off the Inland Revenue website. It all depends on the number of overnights on whether he gets the CB. ON where he is registered with the doctors, schools for dual address. I would also say I applied under the freedom of information act and its 95% Women who get CB and 5% Men. It is the gateway to all other benefits the CSA issue is not the main thing.

If he falls unwell etc then the CB is the gateway to many other benefits and the tax system doesn't recognise the fact he has a child so will not help him at all.

Also if he gives up work to look after the children then the CB book act as pension credits. Otherwise he will not end up with a pension! The tax system is really not geared to help sperated fathers who look after children for substantial amounts of time.

This doesn't apply to everyone including me, but if your work does not give you any bonus and you have a flat wage, I was advised to go to court, (without solicitor) and instead of paying CSA, get the court to means test you against your CSA payment. This person did it and instead of paying £314.00 through CSA, is now paying £86.00 as this is all he can afford without getting himself into debt. I am in a very similar position, but if the court saw that I get bonus, albeit once a quarter but sometimes will not be very much, they would not give me a reduction, or take the bonus into consideration to pay her more. Not sure 100% about the bonus side though.

What happens instead of paying one parent more reference overnights.

Which is a stupid idea as all that happens is the other parent rarely get overnights.

What happens if they rang each parent and asked what the maximum time you can have that child based on

1) Distance.

2) Holidays their employer gave.

If that parent refused to have the child the maximum time or make suitable child care arrangements for that time.

THEN and only then would payment be required.

Only real dead beat parents would be targetted.

It would show the CSA as encouraging mutual parenting time rather than supporting one parent against the other.

If each parent wish to have the child and was prepeared to make child care arrangements then its would promote equal parenting. Costs in child care if you have to work or not small. The burden would truly be on both parents equally.

Uusally both parents have to work. Children are at playschool 5 mornings a week by 3 and start school at 4. Whatever idealistic views both parents are usually in some form of part-time work by the time the children return to school.

Show equality of the sexes. Benefits and tax system would have to be restructured....to enable both parents to have equal access.