Annex C
Where weekly income is greater than £200
per week and there are no other children in the non-resident's
second family:
3 children (or more) = 25 per cent
Where weekly income is greater than £200
per week and there are other children in the non-resident's second
family, the rates are adjusted as shown in the table below:
|
No. children to
maintain
| No. children in second
family
|
Total no. children
| Rate
(per cent)
| Adjustment in rate
(per cent)
|
|
| 1 | 0 | 1 |
15 | — |
| 1 | 1 | 2 |
12.75 | -2.25 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
12 | -3.00 |
| 1 | 3 plus | 4
| 11.25 | -3.75 |
| 2 | 0 | 2 |
20 | — |
| 2 | 1 | 3 |
17 | -3 |
| 2 | 2 | 4 |
16 | -4 |
| 2 | 3 plus | 5
| 15 | -5 |
| 3 plus | 0 | 3
| 25 | — |
| 3 plus | 1 | 4
| 21.25 | -3.75 |
| 3 plus | 2 | 5
| 20 | -5 |
| 3 plus | 3 plus | 6
| 18.75 | -6.25 |
|
It is assumed that the "2nd family" is the family
who resides with the non-resident family and is thus his "current
family". The White Paper assumes a maximum of two families:
the children who require maintenance and the children who constitute
the "new family". However, it is not uncommon to have
more than two families requiring maintenance.
Take the example of Mr Brown, who earns £450 per week.
He has been married twice and has one child in his first marriage
and two children in his second. He now lives with his girlfriend
and they have a baby.
What should we do?
METHOD 1
Total the number of children who require maintenance. (3
in this example). There is one child in the "2nd family therefore
21.25 per cent of £450 = £96.00 per week. Each child
would be entitled to £32 each.
The problem with this method is that the rates are determined
assuming that children are "cheaper by the dozen". However,
if the children live in different families then this simply doesn't
fit in with the"cheaper by the dozen" theory.
METHOD 2
Calculate the maintenance for each family:
Marriage 1: 1 child being assessed, 1 child in "2nd
family".
12.75 per cent of £450 = £57
Marriage 2: 2 children being assessed, 1 child in "2nd
family".
17 per cent of £450 = £77.
Total maintenance payments = £57 + £77 = £134
The problem with this method is that, theoretically, child
maintenance could exceed income, as no reference is made to the
other family when the calculations are done. Mr Brown pays 30
per cent per his net income in child support maintenance.
METHOD 3
Add all other children to the "2nd family".
Marriage 1: 1 child being assessed, 3 children in "2nd
family".
11.25 per cent of £450 = £51
Marriage 2: 2 children being assessed, 2 children in "2nd
family".
16 per cent of £450 = £72.
Total maintenance payments = £51 + £72 = £123
Again, theoretically, child maintenance could exceed income.
In this method Mr Brown pays 27 per cent of his net income in
child support maintenance.
| 
