15 yr old child is working, does hubby pay less to CSA

[Caz1971]

We found out that my ex' daughter is working. she is 15. does that mean CSA will go down? We are LIVID. also we think her mother is getting cash in hand. as hubby remembers her doing this years back.

also - we have just spent over 800 dollars on uniform/school books for highschool (public) and hubby is supposed to be paying 120 per week to her, he currently can spare 60 a week which he pays. CSA said they will start to garnish his wages. They said that my hubby is not obligated to pay for my son (he is from another dad) and does not have to volunteer to pay for his school books/uniform. Hubby was sooo cheesed off and angry - DS has lived with him since he was 4, his biological 15 yr old daughter is not even grateful that he pays child support, she is always calling him a blimpin xxxxx on SMS. She is so ungrateful....

Why does the stupid Gov not see / recognise that he has my son living with us and therefore is paying for his food, clothing, schooling etc.

Cos they dont want to pay, so have to force the fathers to pay.

we may have to sell our house, lose our mortgage. I am only working part time, as we also have another son together.

[Inanna]

If your husbands daughter is 15 & has a part time job I do not believe that this will decrease his child support responsibility.

Child support is calculated on both his income & the mother of his child's income. Child support is the responsibility of the non residential parent to assist in the costs of raising a child. If you have reason to believe that your husbands daughters mother is earning more than she is declaring - he has the avenue of complaint through CSA. Having said that - surviving as a single parent is a tough gig - made even tougher - economically, emotionally & socially as children approach their mid teens. Any hardship the mother suffers filters down to the child.

If your son's father isn't paying Child Support I would contact CSA & ask them to open a case. Even though it is unjust that he isn't paying this doesn't alter your husbands responsibility to his daughter. This issue with your son is quite separate from the issue with your husbands daughter. Also CSA will take into account that you & he share parentage of another child. If you want them to take into account that your husband also solely supports your other son - you will also need to take this up with CSA...

I hope you can get this resolved & find some peace with it.

[Caz1971]

Hi Inanna, no my ex husband lives in canada. I cannot find him and CSA cannot find him, so I get NOTHING from him for my son.

[blessedatlast]

The $800.00 you paid for school stuff might count as child support.. On the back of DP's child support bill it says

If you have made payments for child support either directly to the other party or on behalf of the other party please contact CSA as these payments may be an elible credit to your child support account

Might be worth checking out if you haven't already.. Buying school things could be regarded as payment on behalf of the other party??

[Amity]

Nothing you can really do about your DS apart from contacting the Canadian authorities. Australia does have reciprocal agreements with Canada about child support so if you ask for the "overseas maintenance department" with the CSA you might (eventually) get somewhere with them.

In terms of 15yo working, is she working full time? Can she support herself financially? Unless a "Child Support Terminating Event" occurs, which is defined in the legislation, then he will have to continue to pay.

If you can't afford to pay for whatever reason, there are ways in which you can apply for a departure order - check out the form "changing your child support in special circumstances" available on the CSA website.

Good luck