| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 9:36:56 AM | All of your facts are pretty good ConciousSoul. I have commented myself that the first few years of a baby's life can be expensive.
Just as a side note though, the way you were talking in this thread I assumed that you had kids, but I just looked at your profile and it says that you don't. Whats up with that? | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 9:43:19 AM | ***think the kid is sick enough to go...we really can't afford it. but because they can...they drag them, hold out their hand and say i can do what i want so pay up. ***
Have you ever taken a sick child to the doctor with a waiting room full of sick kids/people? Oh yeah, i DEFINITELY do it for the money. NOT. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 9:47:24 AM |
All of your facts are pretty good ConciousSoul. I have commented myself that the first few years of a baby's life can be expensive. Just as a side note though, the way you were talking in this thread I assumed that you had kids, but I just looked at your profile and it says that you don't. Whats up with that?
I am family-life education professional. I also have a little 10 month nephew whose dad is a non custodial parent. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 9:50:10 AM | **Or better yet…lol…since the hands outs should be shared does she owe you half of the $141.00 left over?***
How about she puts it in a college fund. not all expenses are the same month to month either. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 9:59:54 AM | ***Raising a kid isn't cheap***
You are exactly right. And the whole idea of child support is not whether the mom (or dad) are spending it for them instead. It's about making the environment for the child similar to what it was with 2 parents in the picture, so that their quality of life is comparable to what it would be with both parents.
I know in my case ($173.40 a month for 1 child, my other daughter's father does not pay) $50 a month of that goes towards a college mutual fund, so that it will make money and compound over the years until she goes to college in 2 years. That leaves about $123 a month to cover food, clothing, and other necessities. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 10:21:06 AM |
And the whole idea of child support is not whether the mom (or dad) are spending it for them instead. It's about making the environment for the child similar to what it was with 2 parents in the picture, so that their quality of life is comparable to what it would be with both parents.
When two households become one both parents have to be responsible for quality of living, not just one as may have been the case during a marriage.
I know in my case ($173.40 a month for 1 child, my other daughter's father does not pay) $50 a month of that goes towards a college mutual fund, so that it will make money and compound over the years until she goes to college in 2 years. That leaves about $123 a month to cover food, clothing, and other necessities.
How about $1991/mo for two children when the parents have a shared custody 50/50 arrangement? I would suggest that would more than cover any costs to the recipient. There are extremes on both ends of the scale, I just think that the table amounts are wrong as the payers income goes up. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 12:27:39 PM | Seems I wrote that first reply backwards.
It should have read:
When one household becomes two both parents have to be responsible for quality of living, not just one parent as may have been the case during a marriage.
My bad. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 1:54:51 PM | | I think that was what i was saying??? The custodial parent gets the financial support from the non-custodial parent so that the child has the same quality of life as it was when there were 2 parents. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 1:57:06 PM |
I think that was what i was saying??? The custodial parent gets the financial support from the non-custodial parent so that the child has the same quality of life as it was when there were 2 parents.
Yes, and I agree with you in that it appears that child support is set up that way. What I am saying is that in my opinion that isn't child support anymore but better defined as spousal support. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 2:04:52 PM |
I would like to make sure that child support is just child support and not alimony. There are separate rules for alimony, and it should be separated entirely from any child support amounts.
I have not had a chance to completely research this, but here in SC I have been told they have instituted a receipt system if the social services is involved. They allow $25.00 per child to be put towards the power bill, nothing can go towards the phone, unless the child(ren) has a gps phone where they push a button and it dials the police or the parent's phone. It cannot go towards cable or internet or satellite, even if you mainly have those for the kids. Most children in this situation are receiving Medicaid, which completely covers their medical costs, which includes dental, eye glasses, and any other necessary medical expense so there should be no need for the child support money to pay for any medical expenses. It cannot go towards gas for the car, car payments, insurance, rent or anything else like that. After that money goes towards the power bill, everything else has to have a receipt and it all has to be spent on the kids. It can be used for food, clothes, toys, etc.
Like I said, I have not had a chance to research any of this as of yet, so I may have been misinformed or there may e details that I have left out or things that I just don't know as of yet regarding this. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 2:08:52 PM | ValkyrieHJR -
I would like to see something like you suggest here. I'd honestly be surprised to learn that this is true even in SC though. I haven't heard anyone mention something like this being in place in North America yet. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 2:23:42 PM | What about things that don't have a receipt? Things like the child's allowance or you went to garage sale's and bought the child things. I'm not sure how its possible to know to a "T" what was spent on that child.
Another Note
Have you ever been in business and had to save all the business receipts? Have you ever thrown in extra's out of your personal spending for example you buy a printer for home just because you could? There would be so many ways to cheat on the paper work I cant see it happening. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 2:30:39 PM | My ex was telling me about it. Not that it matters, since he doesn't work and doesn't pay anything anyway. He's not exactly a reliable source though. He tends to spin facts to suit him.
I would like to see something similar, but I think that the CS should be able to go towards things like cable and such, as long as it is being used for the kids as well. Things like car payments and such would be included up to a certain percentage (less than 1/2).
I am not saying this because I am a greedy money sucking type. I am saying this because if the family were still together, they would both be paying towards the car payment, or the rent, etc.
Now, say for instance Jo Schmoe has to $200 a month. And July Schmoe gets the check for that in the middle of the month. Assuming that she has things budgeted out, and she needs to pay out a good bit of money before she gets that check. and the amount includes part of what is budgeted from that $200 payment. I don't have an issue if she takes that money back out of the $200 to buy something that she may need. Don't mistake me, I am not saying she needs to be buying fur coats and jewels or anything like that. I am all about making sacrifices for my kids. But it may be that she needs to get something for work or personal items. But that also should not be a regular thing.
Edit for above ^^^^^ Diamond, I didn't say I necessarily agree with the way it is working right now. I think that the some of that money should be able to go towards things like cheerleading or sports, or camp or things like that. I think that both parents should be responsible for their children and that should include the activities they want to participate in. Once again, I think that because if the parents were still together, this would be another expense that both would be contributing to, under normal circumstances.
I also did say that I may not have all of the facts yet. I have not had a chance to completely research this yet, and it came from a somewhat unreliable source. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 2:46:21 PM | | This is basically what i've been saying. If you are allegated to pay child support, it shouldn't matter where it goes necessarily. It is to supplement the custodial parent's income so that the child has a good lifestyle. I'm sure if the custodial parent was a man, he wouldn't appreciate having to keep receipts for his spending! The custodial parent is spending money to raise their child, the child support is replacing that money. I've never received an extravagant amount of money to come even close to going out and spending it on myself. There have been a few occasions where he had to pay a large chunk sum to keep from going to jail, and over half of it went in my daughter's college fund. The other half went to some needs she had. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 2:51:04 PM | | I already do that, I keep receipts for everything. I can tell social security what I spent the ssi money on and other receipts for the tax man and if need be, for child support office to show what I spend on the kids. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 2:56:05 PM | Here in BC if they are on government assistance you don't even see the child support, the FMP is in charge of it and you must sign it over to them. If you do not, you don't get the assistance. Puts a lot of people in a hard spot who need to go on it short term, as if they don't agree to sign it over to FMP workers, they deny assistance and that cannot be appealed.
They also take it dollar for dollar from the check, so really no one sees it, there is no increase in income.
Say parent gets $900 a month which is about approx here, and $220 for CS. All they get is the $900 check, the $220 is collected by FMP.
The receiver of the CS, will only see it once they go off assitance and their rights are returned.
I know, it sounds crazy, but they do not want people to stay off the system, this is one of the ways they keep families stuck there. There aren't any incentives to go to work here. At least in Ontario, I seen that they offered a work startup for work clothes and a 50% exemption to help people get back into the work force. Drug cards and medical was given up to 3 months after leaving welfare until the workplace benefits kicked in.
We don't offer it here, but we do have in place a 2 year time limit on welfare, after that you lose money off your check if you don't have a job.
I feel if the child support is meant for children then the poorest families should be allowed to receive it without it being taken away. After all it wastes more tax payers money to search down these men that don't pay and hide out in the long run | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 3:10:14 PM | Matariki Sweet
Our welfare system sucks in BC, Just like if the recipient was honest enough to claim that they won $5 on a scratch an win the recipient will see's a $5 reduction on their next check. Bad huh? Oh and they also stopped sponsoring recipients for school. I could go on and on and I don't even collect welfare....
When the recipient leaves welfare does FMEP give back all the money from how ever long they were on it, or is that money just gone into thin air? | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 3:43:25 PM | So maintain a lifestyle they had, so let's see, a couple live in atwo bedroom apt. for 1200. They share this apt w/ the child. What is his share? The difference between a one and two? $400? So each parent pays 200 for the kids share and 400 each for their share.
Kid's in school no daycare cost. They split up, he moves out as it is common to do so. So he gets his share of the apartment is still 200 for the child and still 400 hundren for his half that he no longer uses and child support on top with the added expense of a shitty apartment at 500?
His contibution to the apartment should be only two hundred and no longer the extra She should consider moving to cheaper apartment. Even if you consider taking a little of the child support to cover rent it still seems that the concept of maintaining the "lifestyle "is bogus.
For the ncp to compensate her portion should be thrown out because no matter how you slice it the reason couples do better financially is necause they are a couple in the first place. Not the ncp's fault. Nor is it his fault that apartments do not come cheap anymore.
And the issue of daycare is bogus too. Couples who are together find a way to work it out or had it thought out efore they separated.
See the main problem with CS is the splitting up after you had kids part. Simple. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 3:53:55 PM | In the U.S, at least in Ohio, you don't get both child support and a welfare check, either. It's one or the other, and u only get to collect the check for 3 years. I don't know how much higher it is for multiple kids, but for 1 child u get around $350 for the check and $350 for food stamps. Welfare takes your child support if u are getting a check from them, even if your child support is higher. If u were collecting a check and then your c/s got ordered and it happens to be more then the check, u have to go down there and tell them u want c/s instead of the check, if u don't u just continue to get the check and welfare keeps the difference.
The good thing about the 36 months though, is you don't have to take it for 36 months straight. Say if u needed it for 6 months, then didn't need it so u got off it. You'd still be able to sign back up for it if need be, and you'd still have 30 months left. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 5:52:10 PM | | When my ex and I went to court, a mediator went over what would happen with tax benefits. I receive all benefits because it makes a larger difference in my taxes than it would in his. The benefit is then applied to what he pays in child support. They figured out what it would be if I got the benefits and what it would be if he did. In the end, we BOTH save a lot by me getting it. He would not qualify for earned income or the child tax credit. Also, his status would be married either way, while losing the dependents would change mine from head of house to single. My larger benefit means less cs for him. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 6:23:07 PM | | wonderingsoul...i'm assuming you are responding to the comment i made. You took it a little farther than i meant. If you took all the expenses and cut them in half, it would be a ridiculous sum of money each month. What i meant (of which you took too literal) is that the child support is not technically the child's money, but to supplement what the custodial parent (notice i'm not automatically saying mom) is making so that the child's life is not affected drastically by the parents not being together in the financial sense. This interpretation of child support comes directly from my child support caseworker. This is how she explained child support to me when I was awarded my small amount of $173.40 a month. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 6:25:07 PM | That money is gone Diamond, once they get off the system it goes back to the client but anything collected during their time on it they do not see since they included as income, they keep it and issue the client the check. They used to allow $200 or so of it to be kept a few years ago but changed the system.
Just like disability clients are allowed to make $500 before losing anything working. Yet to me disability means they cannot work so thus, should they be allowed even more income than the one who can while they have to resort to temporary assistance. I don't think so, maybe extras for scooters and stuff, but still if you can work a full time job, then obviously one isn't as disabled as they claim. Even drug addiction is considered a disability, since when is that a disability, give the choice clean up or no help. Doing drugs is a choice not something one can't help in order not to work.
Im not sure how the child support works for them since they can make $500 before they take anything from them, then maybe they get to keep some? Guess that is something else for me to research. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/29/2009 10:11:10 PM |
Most children in this situation are receiving Medicaid, which completely covers their medical costs, which includes dental, eye glasses, and any other necessary medical expense so there should be no need for the child support money to pay for any medical expenses.
That would be true in most cases, but there are some cases where there are travel related expenses in conjunction to the child receiving medical care and those expenses are NOT covered by Medicaid, nor do you get any extra assistance from welfare to cover those costs (not saying you should or should not -- just that you don't). Oh, and Medicaid does NOT cover contact lenses or the cleaning supplies for contacts. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/30/2009 6:26:00 AM | I get a form of Medicaid called "Paramount" and it covers contact lenses...hmm, wonder why it's different for you.
It does not completely cover dental. It covers some things but it does not cover braces, for one, and if you see more than 1 dentist in a 6 month period, it will not pay for the extra dentist u seen. It only pays for the first one. Learned that when I wanted to switch from Dentist. I-Love-Root-Canals to the handsome dentist who took care of me-minus the root canals. Paramount paid for the second dentist, but that's because I was having problems with the first one so they made an exception. | |
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| An unofficial look at CS payment amounts.
Posted: 10/30/2009 9:52:30 AM | here in BC they dont cover eye exams nor glasses contacts, if you are on welfare they pa $43 and you pay the other $75 or so then they only cover $118 for glasses u have to pay balance. disability gets 1500 dental regular gets $500 and tat is supposed to cover for a 2 yr period. And then each dentist charges over what the welfare pays ex my friends bill totalled $375 he has to pay $120
I really wish people would get off the idea women have the kids for the money or they get divorced for the money.... those ones are few and far between | |
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