OMG! My Dad used to have my little sister 4 nights a week and the CSA still tried to get £10 a week from him xx

we have ceejay 3 weeks in summer holidays and 1 week every single other school holiday plus every other weekend buy him clothes and shoes half of his school uniform and we still have to pay £150 a month ,

once he is married he will have to pay because they will take his wifes earnings into account they did with me which is why at one point we were paying £400 a month

Except she isn't working either, and i can't see either of them getting a job any time soon as they have it so good on benefits

See, that's what i don't like about CSA, they only go on the earnings. There's no way £150 is needed from one parent per month. If it's equal that means it costs £300 a month for a child and i don't believe that is the case at all. I don't think you should have to pay that much especially when you have him so much and provide for him in other ways as you do.

I wouldn't mind as much but Alfie's always coming back in clothes 2 sizes too bloody small for him!

its a nightmere i personally think that they pluck a figure from thin air x

I think the CSA are a pile of crap too ladies!

We don't go through CSA but do use them to calculate what has to be paid. My OH pays £250 a month for his 18 year old daughter. Like you say Lisa that should then be equalled by the other parent meaning so £500 a month. Ok so teenagers are expensive but when you look at the bigger picture it's completely unfair. OHs daughter is supposed to come over every week but she is at that age now where she has bigger fish to fry but the offer is there - not our fault we aren't interesting enough to warrent her wasting her precious time . Her mum has a partner so they have double income but still live in housing association property so have very low rent. OHs daughter is at college but only 16 hours a week (still classed as FT - wtf? ) and she gets EMA off the government for dragging herself out of bed 3 days out of week and going to college and she works so has a decent wage for an 18 year old too. Her mum gets CB + CTC + WTC for her and yet still demands half the money towards any college related costs (she is doing hair dressing so apparently needs new equipments/dyes/tunics/etc every term) and we spend a fortune in fuel running backwards and forwards to see her (50 mile round trip) because she can't be arsed to get a train here which would cost £1.30 I mean wtf?

sorry turned into my own mini rant there but what I'm trying to say is yes OH has a decent wage and should contribute towards his daughter but when you look at the bigger picture (which the CSA dont) - we are on our arse skint because he was left with all her mothers debts and has another family to support. It just annoys me that my babies have to wear hand me downs and cheapy primark (nothing wrong with primark btw - just would love to be able to afford better) clothes when she has a new outfit every weekend and drinks and smokes etc

xx