Child Maintenance advice

My child will be going to a childminder 4 days a week as of February (condensing my work week to 4.5 days due to not being able to afford 5 days care) She doesn’t qualify for the 15 hours funded care until Sept ‘25 but I can claim the tax credits back on childcare. This takes costs down to approx £850pm. I don’t claim child maintenance from the father , he just pays for her food and nappies each month (£100approx). I’ve told him we need to go 50/50 on the childcare and I will take care of everything else, nappies, food, clothes etc. buuut, he is saying he cannot afford it. Some context on him, he has two other children, he works in investment banking earning at a minimum £120k per year, I suspect he earns quite a bit more than that, and he is starting a business that I also suspect he is pumping money into. We get on well and I would rather not go down the child maintenance route however I don’t feel it is fair he doesn’t go halves on childcare only. What are your thoughts ?

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Give him the option Pay towards the childcare or CMS

I would just go to CMS tbh. If he earns 120k you'd be better off financially going through CMS. As a single parent, can you not claim UC? How old is your little one?

@Chiara she is currently 6 months old. I need to check UC , I earn £80k so not sure if I would qualify but good point to check.

Would you not be able to claim the 15hours from June as well and then the 30hrs from September? I'm assuming you're in England?

@Chiara As she is 9 months on April 12th I thought the next term was Sept .. so perhaps I can claim from June then if that is another term?!

I just did a quick check on Entitledto using guesstimated figures... I used £6666 as a monthly wage. £600 pension. Shared ownership with rent of £1000, childcare costs of £1400 and this was the result below

I don’t think you’ll qualify for UC. I earn more than 30k a year less and don’t qualify for anything at all. I own my home so you get nothing if you have a mortgage. Personally I’d go down the CMS route. On his wage the payments would make such a huge difference to your daughter’s life. Even if you put most of it into savings to set her up for her future xx

@Chiara thank you for being so helpful! 🥰

In fairness he is not obliged to as the childcare is not for him during his time. This would then fall on you, if he offered to help then of course that's nice of him but he does not have to if he does not want too. Of course if you need the money then apply for maintenance. With funded hours I'm unsure of but you could check with someone - maybe CAB could help with advice

@Nicole I agree he's not obliged to pay towards the childcare BUT he is required by law to pay a % of his income and he's not doing either atm

Gov came back to me and I’m eligible for the 15hrs funded in ‘Sept 25

Based on a salary of £120k and £140k per year (as I’m unaware of his salary) and taking his children into consideration payments should 140k - £627.47pm 120k-£544.43 pm I’m asking for £415 per month from him and we reassess on Sept with the funding

If their birthday is after the March 31st cut off the 15 hours will start in the September so that's correct

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