For everyone elses benefiots, what happens here is:

IF your partner is claiming benefits and is then awarded support from you, teh state will claim that support, quite rightly so, as an income. So lets look at teh 2 scenario's.

1) lady earns £300 a week. No benefits.
Your paying her £50 a week too, and the CSA pay all the £50 to her.

2) lady earns £100 a week and gets £200 in benefits.
Your paying her £50 a week too, but the CSA give it straight back to teh benefits agency. Essentially, the government decides how much she has to live on and any extra money coming in is given back to keep it fair.

Its the same as them giving it to her and her benefits being reduced by £50. Its just simpler thats all.

So make sure any EX';s know that if they are on benefits they will get virtually fook all by taking you to teh CSA and are likely to end up worse of than if you have a mutual agreement.

Hope that helps people.