If you are a parent “with care”, would you expect an unusual and one-off extra expense, such as a holiday away with the school costing about £250 to come out of the maintenance you are paid for day to day child related expenses, or to be split 50/50 between yourself and the ‘absent’ parent?
Ta

Does the other parent want the child to go? If yes, a contribution is in order, if no then either you pay the lot or the child doesn’t go. I’d want a refusal to pay in writing for the school (because in the exchanges I’ve been involved with the school will sometimes reduce the cost in genuine cases of poverty).

I (the ‘absent’) met CSA once after my ex thought I wasn’t paying enough. After they told me I should actually pay her less, which I didn’t, they also told me not to pay for anything other than giving maintenance. I ignore and contribute as and when, but it seems that all one-offs ‘should’ come out of the maintenance.

To Edukator, yes, he does want her to go, as do I. I’m by no means in a poverty situation, but I’d thought on principle as he and his wife are ‘much higher’ earners than I and have no other children, he would contribute on principle. Ho hum…

IDave, Thanks for the info on ‘the party line’.

I pay my maintenance but still contribute to “out of school” activities….Swimming and Gymnastics in my case.

Guess it depends on the individual “abscentee” and your moral fibre.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/ChildMaintenance/Arrangingchildmaintenance/DG_199174

Child maintenance is usually regular, reliable financial support that helps towards a child’s everyday living costs.

My bold

I’m wondering if I should ask for an increase in the everyday maintenance then, as it has been the same for the past 9 years…

9 years? I’d say go for it…

Greg.

FWIW, RPI has risen by about 25% in the past 9 years.

My son had a very expensive school trip last year, around £400 and i asked his father to pay half, on top of the normal CSA payments.

He did pay, all of it in fact, but I couldn’t have forced him to.

It is the only time in the 14yrs since my son has been born that I have asked for extra though.
Maybe if it happened more often he would say no.

I do the same as fenred. The latest was a Brownie holiday. As for the increase, my maintenance increases annually in line with RPI, whether I get a pay rise or not, so go for your increase. Good luck!

I’ve never asked for extra for anything, as everything has been day to day expense, IMO.