# Child maintainance



## singlemum (13 Feb 2007)

The father of my child born last year is non european and moved back from France to Russia. I do not receive maintainance. Is there any benefit I would be entitled to in this case? Because I am not in a minimum wage job I am not entitled to any single mum benefits, but it doesn't mean just because I am working I am not tied with finances. Creche fees are enormous as we all know. Thank you for your advice.


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## Ravima (13 Feb 2007)

have you asked him for support?


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## Perplexed (14 Feb 2007)

Are you claiming your Single parent tax credits ? This effectively doubles your allowance.


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## Sue Ellen (14 Feb 2007)

You may find something useful here or here.


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## Welfarite (14 Feb 2007)

From your post, I presume you are earning too much for One-Parent Family Payment (over €375 per week), but have you tried for Family Income supplement? Earn up to €480 per week adn get minimum of €20 per week or 60 of differnece between nett income and €480.


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## tommo2 (17 Feb 2007)

use form Op1 from revenue to claim single parent allowance. It gives you extra 1720 credits and extra 4000(i think) in standard rate cut-off
Basically, if you pay more than 35 euro in tax per week it is worth 1760 per year to you. This is because your tax credits are increased by 1760.

Your standard rate cut-off is increased from 34,000to 38,000.If you earn above 38,000 per year, you effectively take 4000 of earnings out of the 41%tax rate and tax it at 20% instead. It is equivalent to 4000 X 0.21 which equals 840. In total it is worth 1760(above)+840= 2600 or 50 euro per week.

Hope this helps. Not the easiest tax system in the world to explain. Let me know if im making sense to you.
Find the form on-line here:
[broken link removed]


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## Gordanus (20 Feb 2007)

Don't know what your situation is but, Treoir (Federation of Services for Unmarried Parents and their Children) 36 Upper Rathmines Road Dublin 6 very good for info on whether you can take international cases for maintainence and how to do so.  The state may well want you to pursue the father as there's no reason why the state should facilitate him to evade his responsibilities.  'Cherish' very good on how to bring up a child whose father takes no interest, and how to explain it to them - because they are the ones who get hurt, feel rejected and unwanted, in the end.  It's useful to have all this prepared way befor the child starts asking questions.  Good luck.


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## tommo2 (22 Feb 2007)

The unmarried allowance is available to any single parent, regardless of whether they are receiving maintenance.
The only reason the state may ask you to pursue the father is if you are claiming social welfare benefit  as a single parent. Then, any maintenance payments will affect your social welfare allowance.

If you are a single parent , you are *entitled* to the single parent tax credit. This is not a case of the state facilitating the fathers responsibilities. Even he is entitled to it. The tax office never tell people this. I have been a single parent for the last 5 years. I am paying maintenance and have my child stay with me for over half the year. When i rang the tax office some wagon told me i was not entitled to anything because the childs mother is in receipt of social welfare payments.
Turns out, thiswas a total lie and i have just claimed the allowance retrospectively. Couldnt claim for 2001 though, can only claim for past 4 years.
Why is there a culture in ireland that you are evading responsibilities and are sponging if you claim these allowances. It is your entitlement. If i married the childs mother in the morning, the combined tax alowances we receive would more than cover any losses in welfare payments and single parent tax breaks. I know a lot of people who have got married for tax reasons!


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## singlemum (23 Feb 2007)

Thank you all for your help in this matter.


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