OPF & living with someone other than child's father

smurfette2

Can anybody tell me if you are disqualified from claiming one parent family payment if the person you are living with is not your child's father?

Websites just seem to say "Cohabiting"

Or do they expect another unrelated man to provide for someone else's child?

Balagan

Yes, living with a partner disqualifies you.

One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) is a payment for men and women who are bringing children up without the support of a partner...

To qualify for a One-Parent Family Payment you must...
Not be cohabiting (that is, living with someone as husband and wife)...

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/social-welfare/social-welfare-payments/social-welfare-payments-to-families-and-children/one_parent_family_payment

axel rose

This may sound like I'm being a smart arse but if you dont want your current partner to provide for another mans child, have you approached your childs dad for money?

As Balagan says- you will not be eligable for opfa, if your partner accepts you, he must also accept your child too.

smurfette2

I am getting maintenance for my child from it's father.

I just fail to see the logic in taking over €200 per week from me (OPF & FIS) just because I have a partner who is not a relation to my child.

Surely it would be better not condemn a child into poverty & hardship just because it's parents no longer have a relationship. And why should a current partner have to support someone elses child to the tune of €200+ per week

When Seamus Brennan was minister for social & family affairs he propsed a payment which was paid to the sole custodian of the child regardless of his/her changes in circumstances - has this notion gone away forever? :mad:

analbeads

smurfette2 wrote: »

Surely it would be better not condemn a child into poverty & hardship just because it's parents no longer have a relationship. And why should a current partner have to support someone elses child to the tune of €200+ per week

well you still have the option of not cohabiting and keeping your lone parent allowance so your child isnt living in poverty.
correct me if im wrong but lone parent allowance is €196 a week personal allowance for the mother and €29.80 for the child so the person your partner will be supporting is you to the tune of €196 and a lesser amount of €29.80 for your child.:rolleyes:

and i have to point out the fact that if a lone parent cohabites with someone that is not their childs father/mother how do you prove this? many fathers are not on their childs birth certs so you can hardly expect the goverment to pay for DNA tests to prove this so a lone parent can keep their payment do you?

and when do you think lone parent allowance should stop, do you think it should be paid even when you get married as your partner still isnt your childs bio dad?

axel rose

Smurfette, the opfa is there to get you through the tough times. You have a steady partner, maintainence from your childs dad. Now the state sees you as a traditional family unit. Now you need to decide if you want to be a working mum or a stay at home mum.

As analbeads says- when should the state step back?

tenchi-fan

smurfette2 wrote: »

Or do they expect another unrelated man to provide for someone else's child?

It's no more ridiculous than expecting taxpayers to pay a woman a tidy little sum every week just because she has a child, especially when you consider the child has two parents and a "favourite uncle"

username123

If a new partner moves in with you, you are no longer a 'one parent family', you are now a 'two parent family' - regardless of any biological relationship between your new partner and any existing children. Your childs father already supports your child, your new partner supports his 'family'.

If you dont wish your child to be condemned to a life of 'poverty and hardship' then dont move a new partner in. You made choices in life, these are the consequences of those choices.

tenchi-fan

smurfette2 wrote: »

When Seamus Brennan was minister for social & family affairs he propsed a payment which was paid to the sole custodian of the child regardless of his/her changes in circumstances - has this notion gone away forever? :mad:

hopefully.

Kristopherus

And its also fraudulant to claim OPFA , if your new partner is working.

axel rose

In fairness the OP expressed no intention of claiming for opfa once she moved in with her partner.

Sardonicat

smurfette2 wrote: »

I am getting maintenance for my child from it's father.

I just fail to see the logic in taking over €200 per week from me (OPF & FIS) just because I have a partner who is not a relation to my child.

Surely it would be better not condemn a child into poverty & hardship just because it's parents no longer have a relationship. And why should a current partner have to support someone elses child to the tune of €200+ per week

When Seamus Brennan was minister for social & family affairs he propsed a payment which was paid to the sole custodian of the child regardless of his/her changes in circumstances - has this notion gone away forever? :mad:

You are correct about Seamus Brennan's proposal. Sadly, the recession has put paid to that.

axel rose

Theres nothing sad about abandoning a ridiculous plan that would discourage single parents from returning or going to work!!!!!!!!

It was an awful proposal to start with!!!!!!

Sardonicat

One of the main reasons this was proposed was because it was found in countries where this was introduced to actually help loan parent's get away from benefit dependancy as it encourages the development of new "official" family units. If you read the proposal document you will see this. Oh, BTW, many loan parent's work part time, and would work full-time if they had access to affordable childcare. If more time was spent by the state persuing the fathers who do not pay adequete support for their children then harrasing women trying to build a new life for themselves a lot more could be achieved.

I presume I will have to point out that I don't think all fathers not in a relationship with their child's mother don't want to support their child, and yes, there are those who take the piss out of the system.

axel rose

I absolutely agree with the feckless father syndrome, the state does nothing to address this. However affordable childcare is a problem for all parents. The state should pursue the fathers for all money. (However the amount of women that are prepared to shag absolute strangers is horrific.)

The country is knackered and the op doesnt appear to get the fact that she would no longer be a lone parent if she were to move in.

(BTW I am a single parent)

analbeads

Sardonicat wrote: »

If more time was spent by the state persuing the fathers who do not pay adequete support for their children then harrasing women trying to build a new life for themselves a lot more could be achieved.

totally agree!

Sardonicat

We seem to agree more than disagree, axel.:)

Childcare is a big issue for everyone with kids, I'm not suggestiing it isn't. As a loan parent yourself you will no doubt understand the particular issues regarding childcare: can't afford it, therefore, can't get off welfare.

I'm not sure how someone's sexual morals comes into the argument though. Are you suggesting that a loan mother should be celibate, or that a man she has a casual relationship with should take on the financial responsibility of her child? While I do not agree with those (male or female) who slap it around, that is a personal, intimate matter, and unless it concerns the welfare of the child should not be taken into account. We are all entitled to a private, adult life.

With regards the OP; I think she may have been confused because of the 2006 proposals as to where she stands on this matter. Had Seamus Brennan not passed away and the proposals brought in she would still be classed as a loan parent, wouldn't she?

axel rose

I wasnt passing comment on womens morals more on the fact that some women and men are happy to let their child go offically fatherless for the sake of a few quid. If a women had a casual relationship that resulted in a child- damn straight he should pay for it! The problem is that the state is too willing to turn a blind eye to 'sperm donors' (ie lots of forms claiming that 'I met a fella in the niteclub , don't know his name.':rolleyes:). I rather believe that Ireland has more liars than tramps.


The country cant afford it.

Sardonicat

axel rose wrote: »

I wasnt passing comment on womens morals more on the fact that some women and men are happy to let their child go offically fatherless for the sake of a few quid. If a women had a casual relationship that resulted in a child- damn straight he should pay for it! The problem is that the state is too willing to turn a blind eye to 'sperm donors' (ie lots of forms claiming that 'I met a fella in the niteclub , don't know his name.':rolleyes:). I rather believe that Ireland has more liars than tramps.


The country cant afford it.

Sorry axel, I misunderstood your last post re women having lots of partners. Apologies

Don't think I'd argue with any of the above. Though I think the amount of "liars" has more to do with the fact that the state turns a blind eye to the "donors", not vice versa.

We are largely in agreement, I think.:)

axel rose

That we are kid!

Sardonicat

axel rose wrote: »

That we are kid!

Kid? Oh, how I wish I was!:p

axel rose

You can be always young at heart eh?

smurfette2

I work part time and my child's father pays maintenance on a very sporadic basis.

I told him I was going to bring him to court to get a more regular payment sorted so that I could reduce the amount of OPF payment that I get and was told by him that any efforts by me to attempt this would result in him throwing acid in my face :mad: Reported that threat to the guards who informed me that theire hand were tied until he actually did more than made threats

Obviously I should just forget about moving on with my own life and join a nunnery until my child can fend for itself

axel rose

Op, I dont understand the attitude, I assume its because you didnt hear what you wanted. Unfortunatley in Irelaqnd there is no 'mothers allowence'-A payment payable to mothers to look after their kids. Your chhilds dad is not exactly a keeper and you most likely did the right thing by moving on. You will be living in a house where there will be 2 incomes-so you no longer need OPFA. Do you realise that this is a good thing for your family?

Nuns have to make a pledge of poverty so I wouldnr recommend that route!!!! :pac:

wmpdd3

smurfette2 wrote: »

I work part time and my child's father pays maintenance on a very sporadic basis.

I told him I was going to bring him to court to get a more regular payment sorted so that I could reduce the amount of OPF payment that I get and was told by him that any efforts by me to attempt this would result in him throwing acid in my face :mad: Reported that threat to the guards who informed me that theire hand were tied until he actually did more than made threats

Obviously I should just forget about moving on with my own life and join a nunnery until my child can fend for itself

I do agree that you should get your child's maintainence arrangements set in stone by getting a court order. I know some people who have been through this process buy have ended up worse off. The initial cost was about €2000 for the legal advice to get the order. Then when it was all sorted the other patent failed to pay regularly.

Now payments are about 3 months behind and sporadic, often a random amount every 2-5 weeks. The court will not do anything to inforce the order until the parent fails to pay 3 months in a row.

If the person is making physical threats against you try get as much proof as possible. save any texts and learn how to record conversations on your mobile. Get a notebook and take down dates and times of all contact between you.

All this while trying to be civil about the parent in front of the child!

changes

Another point to remember OP is that even if you didn't have a child as soon as you move in with someone... anyone you will recieve less support from the state.

E.G 196 by 2 people = 392

but if you are living as a couple you would get 330 or something like that.

The same applies when you have a child and a partner, any partner you will get a reduced subsidy from the state.