Dude, WTF are you posting this here for?
Go to CAB and get proper advice from them on what you should be entitled to do.

Mark

Good advice, but what is wrong with talking to friends and compatriots to help get things straightened out in his mind first? He probably has a lot more sensible questions to ask and avenues to pursue.

How comfortably off are you? Are you struggling to make payments? What would the terms be if it went to the CSA?

https://secureonline.dwp.gov.uk/csa/v2/ ... enance.asp

I like the idea of giving some of the cash directly as an allowance, but I'm not sure any 12 year old should be given the responsibility of looking after their own allowance when it comes to bed, board and essential clothing. I don't know what pocket money rates are these days, but something around £20 a month wouldn't seem out of proportion. That's a CD or nice clothes every week or two, which I'd consider quite a luxury.

There is a potential problem regarding her half-siblings though. How are they going to feel if their half-sister is independently "rich"?

I'm actually a little puzzled that a parent who remarries is still receiving child benefits from the ex-partner. My step father supported me 100% with no financial help from my biological father, but I guess things were different in the 70s. Assuming they have a reasonable income, shouldn't they actually be paying you since you have her more than half the year?

JJ, I'd say (at significant risk of being labelled as sexist, which I don't consider myself to be) that it's because the system favours women.

Cheers Saspro for your thoughts and offer, hopefully I wont need to go down the legal route of intitlement as so far I've managed to avoid that route but if I struggle to work it out with the ex in a civalized way it way be a option.

I maybe wrong in thinking this but as far as I can see my ex is half responsible of my daughters upbringing, so she should buy and provide half too.

To be honest I'd be more than happy to have my daughter live with me.



Mark, I understand what you’re saying but really I just wanted to hear the thoughts of the forum, I have known a lot of you for over 6 years now and value your opinions.



Understood but I wouldn't dream of not paying towards my daughter, my EX did leave me for the man she is now married too and I know for a fact he has a grown up daughter and he never helped to bring her up physically or financially.



Its not a sexist remark Nick it's fact, ask the Fathers for Justice! but what I have read and heard from friends and people in the same situation is that the CSA are becoming more factual and do take into consideration overnights stays, additional children in the household whether they are blood related or not etc etc, I just hear that it's a nightmare to sort out with form and constant phone calls and when it goes wrong, it goes wrong big style. Plus they like to take their big cut for all their hard work……

The money went straight to me from that age and it was paid in to a bank account I couldn't access easily (I had to go in to the branch to draw cash out) so I had to have a good reason to get the money. My mother supervised and helped me and I think it can be a good thing for the child. I had to buy my own toiletries and other essentials as soon as I started receiving the maintenance money as well as clothing. If I wanted to buy anything like records that came out of my pocket money.

12 may sound young but as they say kids grow up fast these days.