CSA

[hotfemail]

My friends wife left him 2 years ago but he has never asked for maintenance for their daughter who was 16 at the time. He has stayed in their house and carried on with the mortgage himself.. He is self employed. His dtr has now left school and goes to college 4 days a week ( she is 18 in march next year ). He is asking for a divorce now and is trying to sort out a financial settlement - would he be able to claim CSA for the past 2 years and until she is 19 as his ex works full time (she lives alone).

[dothawkes31]

CSA is an agency, they help estranged families sort out child support and maintenance payments. I think child support is disregarded for WTC purposes, which he can claim even though he is self employed, he'd be better doing that up until her 19th birthday and it can be back dated 90 days. he should tread carefully, his ex could still have claim on the house unless he bought her out when they seperated.

[hotfemail]

thanks Dot
He already claims Child Ben and WTC and Child Tax Credit - he just wonders if by law he can ask for back-dated maintenance for his daughter. The house is still in joint names - she has agreed to sign it over to him for a one-off payment.