Hi everyone.
Just thought I'd ask here for some help or advice if there's anyone out there who's in or has been in a similar situation to me.
So I'm divorced and have 2 daughters aged 7 & 11, me and my ex wife separated 4 years ago and i moved back in to my mums house aged 38 and have been here ever since as i simply can't afford to rent on my own anywhere. I live in the south east. I am in full time employment I earn just under 28k per year. Me and my ex have a out of court agreement and i give her £400 child maintenance a month. Once all of my outgoings are considered and paid for, my only option is to rent a studio flat privately for an absolute maximum of £750 a month. After bills, council tax etc I am left with no disposable at all. But when i try to work out if I'm entitled to any kind of benefits at all none of the calculators take into account the money I pay to my ex already. I'm desperate to move on with my life and rent my own space but dad's in work just don't seem to be entitled to a penny if the live separate from their kids. I have my children overnight twice a week at my mums, she's amazing with them but it's unsustainable. Just wondering if there were any other dads out there who were in my situation and what government help if any they got.
Cheers
James
Its a tough situation. I appreciate you want to support your daughters but have you checked whether you are paying the correct amount? I believe there is a checker on the CMS website so you can see what you should be paying. I realise that if you reduce the payments, that may upset the relationship with your ex but you do need to be able to live
Hi,
Yes it is very tough as a single dad. You can check the cms calculator and see if you can get reductions based on kids staying with you 2 nights a week: https://www.gov.uk/calculate-child-maintenance. other possible option would be to move a little further away for cheaper housing.