CSA & living costs..?

krashovr10ad · 6 June 2006 at 12:42PM

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Why under the old rules do they allow you rent and council tax so that you have somewhere to live - but they don't give you an allowance to pay household bills like water, gas and electric..?

I don't work 6 days a week and 40+ hours to be told that I am entitled to Income Support level protected earnings and my rent before they take half of whatevers left (before adding arrears).

As a single person, I paid £350 monthly (inc arrears) to the CSA for a single child - I now am expected to pay £326 monthly (inc arrears) but am no longer single.

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Scarlett1 · 6 June 2006 at 1:40PM

under the new CSA my ex pays £52 per week for my DD, but I only get the £10 premium, well I did until 2 months ago when it suddenly stopped :rolleyes:

krashovr10ad · 6 June 2006 at 3:19PM

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It's all a mystery - how they do things

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Charliecat · 8 June 2006 at 11:00AM

Are you living with someone with kids. Someone I know was paying £89 quid a week (1 child) and when he moved in a girlfriend and her 2 kids that dropped to £0.
They havent pestered him for arrears either.

scatz · 8 June 2006 at 5:22PM

krashovr10ad wrote:

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Why under the old rules do they allow you rent and council tax so that you have somewhere to live - but they don't give you an allowance to pay household bills like water, gas and electric..?

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I believe they do give you an allowance, under old rules, for Gas, Elec. etc..It's headed as your 'personal allowance'. They use the same amounts that Income Support do for your day to day living expenses.

scatz · 8 June 2006 at 5:26PM

krashovr10ad wrote:

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As a single person, I paid £350 monthly (inc arrears) to the CSA for a single child - I now am expected to pay £326 monthly (inc arrears) but am no longer single.

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Furthermore....

Have you made them aware you are now with a partner? If so and you are on the old rules scheme they should take this into account! But be advised, if your new partner has a case with the CSA or she is 'somehow' linked to a case you may end up having your case converted to the new scheme, which may or maynot benefit you. If it does need conversion......that's where all the problems start!!!!!!!!!

black-saturn · 8 June 2006 at 5:27PM

Charliecat wrote:

Are you living with someone with kids. Someone I know was paying £89 quid a week (1 child) and when he moved in a girlfriend and her 2 kids that dropped to £0.
They havent pestered him for arrears either.

Now it all becomes clear why my ex is so desperate to get someone else pregnant.

krashovr10ad · 9 June 2006 at 9:34AM

I believe they do give you an allowance, under old rules, for Gas, Elec. etc..It's headed as your 'personal allowance'. They use the same amounts that Income Support do for your day to day living expenses.

Well that's most generous of them :rolleyes: That's what I go to work for then..? Income Support:j

The worst part of all of this is that after moving in with my girlfriend we are financially worse off and my girlfriend will punch the next CSA advisor who tells her that running a car and having a tv is luxury - my son has nothing to do with her and yet she and her daughter are suffering to support another child (or more accurately his mum who is back on income support, divorce no.3 and 4th child) so why should they dictate how my girlfriend lives her life..?

As a single mum who worked 16 hours - my girlfriend used to bring in the equivalent of £800 (with tax credits, rent allowances etc..) and thus was more that able to run her household, car, let her daughter attend after school clubs and the like... All of this done legally

That has all gone now - now that I have moved in - and we are left with £29 a week after paying the household bills, food shopping and car.

I dont see why the system is such that we have to struggle by when I work 6 days - if the new assessment isn't much help we will be going back to living apart and be financially better off...

That's a ridiculous situation to be in - to live apart so that we can afford to live a normal family life and not worry about whether the bills are going to get paid...

Sorry - rant over!!

jaja_3 · 9 June 2006 at 4:19PM

Reading your situation makes me so angry:mad:

Not sure if I am allowed to say this or not, but here goes..... My advice to you is to become self employed. My ex is a taxi driver, therefore the CSA cannot prove his earnings, and of course he can tell as many porkies as he likes. Him and his current partner are living a very nice high standard of living, the CSA are currently paying me £10 per week for my daughter which dropped suddenly last year from £20 per week which I was more than greatful for. He simply stopped paying, the CSA when confronted only a few weeks back for the umteenth time informed me I should be greatful I am receiving anything at all

and cannot understand what I am complaining about.

Whoops sorry, hijacking your thread there..

I really do sympathise with you, and find that to be a ridiculous amount of money to be paying out and to be left struggling yourself as a result.

from personal experience though, it seems if you stop paying they will have to reassess you which takes a very very long time. Or like me they might just not bother, try cutting it to £10 per week - they told me I should be greatful for that, so should your ex:rotfl:

(Obviously I am no expert, just sharing my own experiences from a rather bitter resident parent)

Jaja

CSA & living costs..?

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