BIRTHDAY GIRL

My daughter, who moved in with us has her 17^th birthday today. It is the first time in many years that I have been able to celebrate her birthday with her, so it will be a slightly more special birthday.

However since she has been with us, which is now 6 weeks, her mother has not once called or even sent a texted message to see how she is. HOW SAD IS THAT!

Her mother did call me last week, but only to slag me off for not paying child support money for November. I should stress at this point, that I pay child support regularly without fail every month on the same day. The only reason she never got the money in November was an act of anger and annoyance on my part for the way she had treated my daughter.

She will get her money, as I will pay it today, but I rather enjoyed not paying it and being awkward for once, though it did show to me how much she depends on it, even though she works, her partner works, she claims for social security even though she shouldn’t because she has not declared that her partner has moved in, plus working family tax credit (in some way, it would not surprise me if she has more money that me!!!!).

However, the Child Support Agency has re-assessed my support money and I will be paying less each month (as my son still lives with her)….not much less, I might add, so she will get a disappointing shock in December.

And, if anybody reads this and thinks that I am not being responsible since I missed a payment, then here are a few facts that you may not know:

I have paid the correct amount, every month, religiously for years.

My wifes ex-husband, pays at the moment £10 a month, and has arrears of £4000.

I pay £350.01 a month with no arrears.

And with all that money I have paid over the months and years, I hear stories from my daughter of how there was very little food in the house, they had not many clothes, and what they did have was the cheapest of the cheap, while their mother goes out buying herself nice new clothes and hitting the town at night.

At this point, I feel very angry that the money was not all benefiting my children, and even though I complained bitterly, the CSA would always say they have nothing to do with how she spends the money.

Which is why I feel like campaigning and complaining to my Member of Parliament about it and suggesting that at least a certain amount of it, when given to the resident parent, is given in vouchers or tokens to be spent only on childs clothing or something like that.

Nice idea I guess, but it will never happen.