My friend got divorced last year – about September, I think. She is a working mother, earning a good salary. She’s single, with two children. She is the main custodian.
Her ex-husband has moved in with another single mother, a divorced woman with two children. She also works and receives maintenance for her two children.
My friend’s ex has approached the CSA to apply for a reduction in his child support, as he is now living with two children. They are not his own children, their father accepts his responsibility for them and pays his own child support.
My friend is in the process of losing 20% of her child support, which wasn’t terribly high, in the first place. As a lone parent, she pays the bills, mortgage, childcare, etc etc
Can someone please explain the logic behind this reduction. I’m not interested in opinions of the evilness of single mothers, I just want an explanation of why my friend’s children are now to be deprived of quite a large portion of their support.
This is a decision by the CSA. Nothing to do with lawyers.
If you check the website (I didn’t believe this either) you will see that this is so. CSA is now run by the Pensions and Works department.

My children are now 6 and 8, my husband left in June 2000 we have received no support since then. My ex has never wanted contact with the children and I am a lone parent. Every 6 months or so, I get a letter from CSA giving a nil assessment. I rang them recently to ask if they would stop sending these letters. In conversation I learned that arrears of £16,000 were outstanding on the case. I worked part-time till recently – but am now full time (just under £24K) and things are a bit easier – but still no luxuries, no holidays etc. My ex husband works and whilst I don’t know his earnings, but he was earning more than £2500 monthly 7 years ago when we were together. I don’t know the CSA system and am desperate for some advice on how to tackle the maintenance and arrears – it would make such a difference to us! Someone suggested closing the case and re-opening it 16 weeks later which would put us on a new assessment system but I’m not confident about this. Any advice most welcome…thanks.