Will my medical card claim affect ex wife

Baby01032012

I split from my wife last year. I moved out. She applied for medical card for her and our 2 children as she was not working and was successful.

I changed career and am now on a much lower apprenticeship salary. We’re still in middle of family medication to agree terms of separation. However I have been paying a thousand a month maintenance for last 2 months.

If I declare the maintenance payment in applying for a medical card will that adversely affect her and the children. Ie will it be considered income for assessment and cause her to loose her card?

I know for tax purposes there is child maintenance and spousal maintenance the latter being taxable.

Portsalon

Simple answer is yes; maintenance is regarded as income and she should have declared it on the MC application form, or if the cards were issued before you started paying her, then she's meant to notify the HSE as soon as she started to get it.

Baby01032012

Thanks for response.

We haven’t come to formal agreement yet however I’ve started paying the same amount each month which is effectively maintenance.

Her medical application was made prior to receiving the maintenance.

Just a further question. Child maintenance isn’t regarded as income for tax purposes only spousal maintenance according to a family law solicitor I met. I guess even though it’s not taxable it is regarded as income for medical card means assessment?

fmpisces

Baby01032012 wrote: »

Thanks for response.

We haven’t come to formal agreement yet however I’ve started paying the same amount each month which is effectively maintenance.

Her medical application was made prior to receiving the maintenance.

Just a further question. Child maintenance isn’t regarded as income for tax purposes only spousal maintenance according to a family law solicitor I met. I guess even though it’s not taxable it is regarded as income for medical card means assessment?

It says in the link below that maintenance payments are taken into consideration for income purposes when assessing a medical card application....

https://www2.hse.ie/services/medical-cards/medical-card-application-process/the-medical-card-assessment.html

Portsalon

Baby01032012 wrote: »

Just a further question. Child maintenance isn’t regarded as income for tax purposes only spousal maintenance according to a family law solicitor I met. I guess even though it’s not taxable it is regarded as income for medical card means assessment?

It's an increase in household income. So yes.

dartboardio

Baby01032012 wrote: »

I split from my wife last year. I moved out. She applied for medical card for her and our 2 children as she was not working and was successful.

I changed career and am now on a much lower apprenticeship salary. We’re still in middle of family medication to agree terms of separation. However I have been paying a thousand a month maintenance for last 2 months.

If I declare the maintenance payment in applying for a medical card will that adversely affect her and the children. Ie will it be considered income for assessment and cause her to loose her card?

I know for tax purposes there is child maintenance and spousal maintenance the latter being taxable.

It will affect her when she re applies for her card. Not now, they don't randomly just check up on her because it's noted on the social welfare or whatevers system that you are paying her maintenance.

She would need to re apply as a change in circumstance if her income increases or decreases.

So no one is gonna come after her but shes expected to let them know (with a new application)