Hi everyone,
Wondered if anyone has been in a similar situation. I live in England and my ex partner moved back to Northern Ireland a couple of years back. I've always paid the amount the gov website gives, but the travel expense to pick up my daughter works out about £300 every other month for half terms and summer holidays (flight there, back, return again and back).
If this went to CMS would this be a considerable expense? Do flights get considered?
Thanks
hi,
If your paying through CMS then you would be able to claim those flights as expenses for child contact. if you have private arrangement, you could ask your ex about you making some deductions to the monthly maintenance.
bear in mind that the £300 isn't deducted from your CMS payment, but is deducted from the figure used for your income, so that actual reduction in maintenance would be around £36 per month - still better than nothing.
I learnt that expenses are deducted from income not from payments which is while better than nothing isn't really fair! ultimately expenses are a absolute figure that we pay out to see our children. I get that the NRP pays based on a ratio of salary, as the reality is if the NRP and PWC where together that's what would be spent rising the children in that setting! but expenses where the PWC is not supportive of contact (by that I mean dropping off, collecting) where this cost is 100% the NRP's cost then it should be deducted from the annual payment (with appropriate caps etc,) just my two pennies given I've been waiting since April for them to decide if I get any expenses awarded...