[Solved] When will CSA payments stop???

Hi Sean,

The age for maintenance payments went up to 20 in December last year. They only continue past the age of 16 if the child is in full time non advanced education (this does not include University). As your daughter has left school the payments will be due until September I think.

If the mother continues to claim child benefit past this time then the CSA will continue to expect payments.

Hi Nannyjane

I informed CSA that my daughter had finished non advanced education after getting her A level results and she was thinking about University, but they clearly stated that I would have to carry on paying until she was 20??? Are they allowed to lie???

How would I find out if the mother still claims child benefits??? What age can they allowed to be before child benefits stop???

Thank You for replying - I wasn't expecting anyone to get back to me to be honest 🙂

Heres a link to the gov.uk website ~

www.gov.uk/child-benefit-16-19/your-child-leaves-education-or-training

I can only think that maybe the ex wife is somehow claiming child benefits and that's why the CSA is telling me I have to pay until my daughter is 20???

I'm pretty sure the CSA are wrong!

Its very difficult to find out if the mother is still claiming child benefit, the Child benefit Agency will not talk to you because of confidentiality. You could try and discuss this with the mother and let her know that you are aware that as your daughter has now left education it is her duty to inform the child benefit office and the CSA of this change in circumstances. She could be fined up to £1000 for not reporting any changes (I've never heard this actually happening though, but your ex wont know this!)
You could also inform her that if the CSA are still taking payments from you after the first week in September you will have no alternative to report her for benefit fraud.

There is also a sticky at the top of this section about appealing a CSA decision.

Its up to the parent receiving benefits and maintenance to inform the agencies of the change in circumstances....they sometimes don't and this causes all sorts of problems for the paying parent.

...I forgot to mention, if your daughter is in paid employment of at least 24hrs a week then child benefit should stop immediately.

Thank You for the help and guidance - I will ring CSA again tomorrow when I finish work, I will also visit C.A.B and see if they can assist in any way 🙂

...I forgot to mention, if your daughter is in paid employment of at least 24hrs a week then child benefit should stop immediately.

Does that still apply even if she is attending a college course of at least 12 hours per week? That's quite useful 🙂

Heres a link to the gov.uk website ~

www.gov.uk/child-benefit-16-19/your-child-leaves-education-or-training

...I got the info from the .gov website, link above. Its not clear but I read it as... when the child leaves education, child benefit continues until Aug 31st etc, unless they start work or are in receipt of certain benefits, then payment should stop straightaway.

Thanks for that - I've read it now, and I agree entirely with your interpretation of it 🙂

Hello Seanf

Thank you for your post. I am William, the Child Maintenance Options consultant. I cannot look into individual Child Support Agency (CSA) cases but I will see if I can give you any information that may help.

Under the child support legislation, regular child maintenance payments must be made until a child is 16 years old, or 20 if they are in full-time, non-advanced education (A-level or equivalent), or for as long as Child Benefit is being paid. Before 10 December 2012, the upper age limit was 19.

You have said that your daughter is no longer in full-time education. You may wish to contact the CSA and ask them exactly what information they will accept that proves your daughter has left education. In the meantime, contact your daughter's last school/college and ask them for written confirmation that she has left.

Bear in mind that in some cases, children are still classified as being in education until the start of the new educational year (usually September) so you may have to keep paying up until that point. You can find the contact details and information about how the CSA work out child maintenance online at http://www.gov.uk/childmaintenance.

You asked in another post how you can find out if your daughter's mother is still claiming Child Benefit and what age this is paid up to. Child Benefit is paid by Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs and generally continues until the first week of September. You can find further information about Child Benefit from the following link: https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit-16-19/your-child-leaves-education-or-training.

We have a sorting out separation web-app that you may find useful, it offers help and support to separated families. You can find this at: http://www.dad.info/divorce-and-separation/sorting-out-separation.

To find out more about how Child Maintenance Options can help you visit: http://www.cmoptions.org. If you would prefer a friendly and confidential chat, please give the team a call on 0800 988 0988.