What do we think of the key changes for the assess process?

[ReallyMissingHer]

For us they are all okay and I step in the right direction I think

[onewestguncopse]

What changes?

[ReallyMissingHer]

£500 notional expenses allowed per non CH child in the family

all maintenance payments received into the household to be included

No longer an automatic 50% reduction for subsequent sibling CH attendees it will be calculated on net assessed income after deducting the contribution for the eldest/older child

Mortgage/rent allowance the 12.5% restriction will not be applied if the annual payments are below 4k per year

% of the equity value of the main residence will be included in assessment if this is in excess of £500k (!!!!!!!!!! that people have this kind of equity!)

value of business assets wil be considered

[onewestguncopse]

Oh i see. Not sure what impact this will have on the average applicant. All i know is that they need more money as at the moment expenditure exceeds income by a large amount. It strikes me that the endowment is no longer likely to able to sustain the status quo. What that means, who knows.

[J.R.]

Don't get me started AGAIN !!!

[KenHo]

How does anyone know about these new changes, is there a document somewhere?

If anyone could elaborate about the 12.5% statement I would appreciate it. For example, what happens if you are paying £5000 for your mortgage but 12.5% of your income would be £3000. Do you get some benefit for this new rule, for example by applying some rule such as "whichever is the highest of 12.5% OR £4000, provided the mortgage is > £4000). ??

I also wonder if the £500 per additional child has already been assumed in the estimated figures that have been sent to me a few weeks ago, or if it will appear when the actual figures are produced before September?

[ReallyMissingHer]

These were sent to me with our application renewal form.

The 12.5% thing - the way it reads to me is that if your mortgage/rent repayments are less than £4k per year they will all be allowable even if that is more than 12.5% of your gross income.

I can only think the purpose of the sibling thing is to prevent "wealthy" people sending children their because even if they have to pay full fees for the eldest then they won't for the rest of the siblings. Same with people benefitting from low fees whilst having LOTS of equity in their home and assets in their business.

I do find it ironic that we get enhanced CTC because of our low family income and most of it ends up going on school fees so we're still living on an income that the government considers insufficient for our family............

There is no way we could afford for our younger children to go to CH so we are really pinning our hopes on our local sink school having improved greatly by the time they go into secondary education - mind you I don't think the rest of them would enjoy boarding anyway.

[lonelymom]

If anyone could elaborate about the 12.5% statement I would appreciate it. For example, what happens if you are paying £5000 for your mortgage but 12.5% of your income would be £3000. Do you get some benefit for this new rule, for example by applying some rule such as "whichever is the highest of 12.5% OR £4000, provided the mortgage is > £4000). ??

I think this new formula needs clarification. My mortgage payments are nearly £5000 but 12.5% of my income is less than £3500. The wording of the new assessment changes appears to say that I will only get the lower amount, whereas I would have thought it should be £4000. Surely, as KenHo says, if 12.5% of your income is less than £4000 but your mortgage payments are more than £4000 you should still be entitled to the maximum £4000? Otherwise aren't those of us on a lower income being penalised?

[huggermugger]

Um - dunno. But I'm not sure I understand the question! (don't try to blind me with figures, I got a grade 3 in CSE maths which I think means "thanks for turning up on time for the exam")

[lonelymom]

My husband can beat that - when he did CSE English he failed! He's often wondered if that means he's not allowed to be English?

[J.R.]

As far as I'm concerned, if you're born in England then you're English, irrespective of colour, race or creed.

If you're born elsewhere, then......................

(I'll fetch me coat !)

[huggermugger]

My husband can beat that - when he did CSE English he failed! He's often wondered if that means he's not allowed to be English?

Love it... but you've woken JR up now & you know that'll end in tears...

[lonelymom]

Yes, but if we keep very, very quiet he'll go back to sleep

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

There are MANY advantages in having been at CH in the 40s --- despite the War !
A sinple "Glass Ceiling" on Parents' Income -- and Non- Fee Paying Pupils
Don't wake up either JR or myself !

[lonelymom]

Don't wake up either JR or myself !

sweet dreams