Demanding more maintenance?

Is there anyway i can push my ex into covering some of my daughters additional school expenses?

I get £30.50 a week through the CSA and stbxh works an additional cash in hand job that he doesnt declare.

I''m a full time student about to enter my final year of university. I am in receipt of all benefits/tax credits i am entitled to but it is still a huge huge struggle! Just this last week i have bought the majority of my daughters school uniform for september and its cost me £50 and i still need shoes and pe kit etc. Stbxh pays nothing outside of his maintenance, even the clothes he provides for contact visits are often too small and he wont provide suncream/sun hats/coats etc. When he dropped my daughter off last weekend i was getting her new school things out of the car so he clearly saw i had bought things and didnt mention or offer to help cover some of the costs. I live on £110 a week whilst both him and his OW are in full time jobs!! I dont begrudge my daughter anything, and when i can afford it she gets all my extra money, but at times like these when its summer holidays and i''m struggling to get together enough for a food shop i cant help but be p*ssed at how easy he has it!!!

Ask your ex to look after your dtr more often to allow you to work part time?

To be honest, Zonked, a student who is also a parent should really not have a part-time job unless absolutely necessary. There are only so many hours in the day and studying is supposed to take up the equivalent of a full-time job. I know some students study part-time but then they don''t usually have children living with them. Students who spend more than about a day a week in paid work tend to do less well as study time suffers. Ig jslgb is in her final year (as I think she is) she should be concentrating on that, not dashing out to work whenever her ex looks after her daughter.

Best wishes,
Sadie

Term time finishes around June, starts in mid Sept? Perhaps in the summer months there''s an opportunity?

I am in my final year and have already begun my dissertation so already busy. However, i wouldnt begrudge going out to work either but stbxh wont take any time of work or have my daughter anymore than the 6 hours a week he has her, and if i was to get a part time job i would be basically paying for childcare and i would be worse off than i am now. I just seem to be stuck in a rut!

I think in the summer months when term time officially ends you might be elligble for JSA/housing benefit which would boost your income a bit. I don''t know your area of study but it might be worthwhile contacting a recruitment agency in that field and seeing if temp work is available - even with child care costs it might still make a difference.

I am already in receipt of housing benefits. I cant claim JSA as apparently i am not seeking a job due to returning to uni in september, and my daughter is too old to claim IS. I am training to be a teacher so not really something i can do over the summer! I have explored every avenue to try and increase my income but i have reached a stalemate unless i drop out of uni which isnt really an option.

Also, i provide almost everything for my daughter, i''m not sure it would be fair for me to run ragged and upset her routine to support her more. She has 2 parents with PR. It seems that outside of the CSA which doesnt factor in my stbxh''s second job, living arrangements or OW''s income, he isnt required to provide anything.

I welcome your suggestions but i am not sure why your response to my query of getting stbxh to man up and help out with his childs costs is for me to stretch myself even further and get a job?