No its not that they keep it, well they do, but only if your on benefits, if your on benefits then the amount you can get from the gov is capped. So if you are claiming thru CSA then say they take 60 a week from the father, you will get 60, but then they will take away 40 from your benefit. So in effect your only getting 20 extra than you were before. get what i mean?? the rest goes back into the government to cover the benefit. And then once you go back to work, you get the full amount, otherwise people who are entitled to a lot from the dad wud get that plus full benefits and not be working but living off loads, so its just so the gov capp's the outgoings to single parents. dont know if i have worded it right to explain it... the way i see it is, If the money is going back into the gov then at least the Father is contributing - to what i see it as my benefits, so in effect still paying towards his child. if that makes sense!

I guess this makes sense but it does seem unfair on those that cant trust there ex's to pay up. If you got on you could come to an agreement which suited both even if it wasnt extra money he could buy nappies clothes etc with the extra.
not that i am trying to con the government, just anoyed at them as found out i get nothing in tax credit lol

I agree, I did think of suggesting to him, as cheeky as it sounds that he give me the £20 a week and then he can also buy a pack of nappies and other things off his own back every week as well, that would be so much more helpful....

I guess u could do that but make sure that he keep reciepts for anything that he does buy for baby, at least then if things do get more difficult and the CSA do need to be involved later on then he can prove he helped out and the CSA may consider that then start claiming from the point of involvement. We had an 'agreement' for DSD but the relationship with her mother soon got difficult, but they only took from the point they got involved as it could be proved that DH had contributed

yeah they only take from when you make a claim to them. So the sooner you clam to them then the more it can be backdated, But as soon as you go back to work you get the full amount he pays.. they take it from his wages before he even sees it.. so i think it kinda works out. Still not really fair that guys can try and con the system to get out of it, but then these guys are generally selfish anyways.

I know my OH's ex wont be happy when this baby arrives as maintenance will go down.

yeh! its true! good luck with that one!

Just because the CSA are involved doesn't mean that the FOB will pay. I have a friend who was married and had 3 children with him. They split when she was 8 months preg with her 3rd child (Went off and met another woman and had nothing more to do with any of the children). The CSA took ages to trace him and when they found him, he left his job. She received £5 per week for all 3 children (not each). He would stop signing on and start work again, it would take ages for the CSA to trace him again and then he would walk out on his job again. All the time not receiving any payment. 6 years on and she has re-married and her hubby is in the middle of adopting her children. She received in total £290 in nearly 6 years for the 3 children, not annually. She was entitled to 25% of his salary (15% for first child and 5% for each one thereafter).

I think its positive that the FOB wants to pay towards his child, but as you are on benefits I would ensure that the correct channels are followed to ensure that your payments from the job centre will not stop.

I agree the payments are low to live off, but this is as the government would rather mothers return to work and claim tax credits.

In didn't realise she had to declare the money she got while on benefits though. I doubt she does.

Its the same for me the FOB has another son and he has to pay csa he didnt want me going to them so hes gonna put £30 in the bank every week but csa want a copy of the receit or something every week so they know hes paying so hopefully he will put it in every week not just when he feels like it!