CSA Help Please

cmaj31

Hi Everyone,

Backgorund, I have 3 children with my ex-partner who I split from in Feb-04.

All was ok until yesterday when I received a letter telling me I had missed some payments. These payments are by wage deduction so I checked with our payroll clerk who showed me my statement which shows a payment every week since I have worked there.
After contacting the CSA they told me that the NI number I gave them does not exist and that I had the last letter in it wrong. I told them that they were wrong as I have years worth of payslips and P60's showing it was correct but the advisor quite arrogantly told me that it was me who was in the wrong!
So we decided to check the information they had anyway, this is where the fun began!! They had my name and address correct but that was it. They had my current partner as somebody I had never heard of they had no details of our 2 children but the best was yet to come apparently I owe them £4500 arrears!!! Now there was a delay between when my ex informed the CSA and the CSA contacting me and I have been paying the arrears owed from there which were about a quarter of what they are telling me now.
Sooo basically what do I do now? How can I request what information they have on me and the info they have used to make their dodgy calculations?
I was also told that they may demand the full arrears or demand part of the arrears and take 40% of my earnings until this is cleared. What can I do as this will cripple us.

frugallass

I'm no expert and am sure that one will be along soon but just wanted to say that I hope this gets sorted, it seems the CSA have made yet another massive balls up and are blaming you for their mistakes.

the following is an extract from the CSA website

How to access personal information

Under the Data Protection Act 1998, a parent can ask what personal information we hold about them on computer and in some paper records. This is called a 'subject access request'. The parent must ask us in writing for the information and give us information that helps us to be sure of their identity, including:

• their full name
• their date of birth
• their address
• the CSA case number
• their National Insurance number.

The parent should give enough detail to help us to identify and find the information - for example, the CSA office they deal with.
They should:

• send a letter to the Data Protection Officer at the CSA office that deals with their case, or
• write to:

The Child Support Agency
Data Protection Unit
Room BP6002
DWP Benton Park View
Longbenton
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE98 1YX.
Once we have their letter and enough details to help identify the information they have asked for, we will send them a copy of the information if we have it. We will do this as soon as possible and within 40 calendar days.

Make sure you make a log of every call you make to them, take names and times etc. I always ask for them to put things in writing (it doesn't happen) but at least there is a record of my request. Don't always accept what they say as the truth! You'll probably get more valuable advice on this site.

SuziQ

Thi is the second post like this in a few days-there seems to be some serious mistakes being made and it must be very scary to be on the recieving end of this-I am sure you will get it sorted quickly as they are clearly in the wrong,hope someone who knows the ins and outs comes along to advise you further.

NAT.B_2

Request your Date Protection for a start

NAT.B_2

Contat your Loacl MP, Complain to CSA email and letter! contact the information Commissioner office when you have put in your complanit to CSA!
Get the ball rolling now as it will months/Years to sort out! Good Luck

cmaj31

Thanks everybody,

Who do I request my data protection info from? Is it my local office (Birkenhead) or Newcastle?
I just phoned them now to tell them that I had confirmed my NI number with the Inland Revenue and now they will change it.
After getting my statemet of payments today I have also confirmed that I have not missed any and they are going to check the details with central finance.
I also found out from the advisor that it is possible that they have mixed some of my details with someone with the same name!!!!!!
Once I get my data protection details hopefully I can put them straight on a few other things

SuziQ

Glad you are getting it sorted-perhaps they need to tighten their procedures up to prevent it happening again though!

cmaj31

Finally got my info back even though I applied for it in July and OMG what a bunch of incompetant idiots!!!!!!!
Problems found:

1. Still have my NI number wrong even though they show the evidence of me telling them they were wrong and the info from the NI head office showing I am right.
2. They still have my partner's name wrong even though they have the record of me teling them they were wrong.
3. They me down as having a baby with this woman I've never heard of.
4. They acknowledge receipt of me telling them about our baby born in May with child benefit number and yet she is not recorded anywhere and my payments have not changed.
5. They have my required payments as £30 per week from last year even though I'm still paying £45.
6. Finally and most seriously they do not have a record of one of my children with my ex despite being told about her numerous times by myself and my ex.

Where do I go from here?? my biggest problem is the missing child with my ex as I'm only just keeping my head above water now so if they suddenly demand a large amount of back pay it will cripple me.

NACSA_CHAIR

CMA - there is a draft letter on our website https://www.nacsa.co.uk under the letter templates link. download the letter, fill in the appropriate details and send it off. about a week or so later you will get another letter asking for more information. when that arrives you state that you want the full case history, and detail any specific officers that you know have been involved with the case. if you dont know who has had the files, simply state Not Known. be sure to send the second letter off as otherwise your request will not be processed

I would also encourage you to put a complaints letter through the system...and in that complaint, ask them to provide you with a full arrears breakdown.

cmaj31

UPDATE

Got all my details, all the mistakes I outlined in my first post were still on there and the logs of me contacting them to correct these mistakes. I thought I'd contact my local office (Birkenhead) to see if they'd been sorted. Well surprise surprise they hadn't been touched or updated at all. However the woman I spoke to was extremeley helpful (strange for the CSA I know) and was herself astounded at how many mistakes were on there and why they hadn't been corrected even though I had given them the correct details.
She phoned me back twice the same day to tell me her progress and that she has passed it on to the 'Complex Case Department' which was great.
I also asked due to the amount of problems if I could sit down with someone to go through the mistakes which she has organised for me at my local Job Centre office. Sooo hopefully this will get sorted ASAP.
Just nice to speak to someone at the CSA who is helpfull and does what is asked of them and is not arrogant or rude.

pd001

cmaj31 wrote: »

UPDATE

Got all my details, all the mistakes I outlined in my first post were still on there and the logs of me contacting them to correct these mistakes. I thought I'd contact my local office (Birkenhead) to see if they'd been sorted. Well surprise surprise they hadn't been touched or updated at all. However the woman I spoke to was extremeley helpful (strange for the CSA I know) and was herself astounded at how many mistakes were on there and why they hadn't been corrected even though I had given them the correct details.
She phoned me back twice the same day to tell me her progress and that she has passed it on to the 'Complex Case Department' which was great.
I also asked due to the amount of problems if I could sit down with someone to go through the mistakes which she has organised for me at my local Job Centre office. Sooo hopefully this will get sorted ASAP.
Just nice to speak to someone at the CSA who is helpfull and does what is asked of them and is not arrogant or rude.

As from today....now...this minute...stop dealing with the csa on the phone.

Have a read of this,

Never deal with the csa on the phone, ensure that everything is put in writing.
Tell them, by way of a letter that you do not wish to deal with them over the phone. Send it by recorded delivery
Never phone!
Always write!
When you write to them send EVERY letter by recorded delivery and print off the delivery reports from the Royal mail website!
If they phone you....never speak!
(once they have introduced themselves, DON'T be rude to them, just put the phone down) They supposedly record some / all phone calls for staff training purposes so....dont be rude.
Keep copies of all communication, yours and theirs, don't lose anything!
Build a paper file! Do not lose anything
If you have the time scan everything into your pc so that you have a backup of your paper file

Believe me......you may eventually need a paper file. Phone calls will get in the way and conversations can be misunderstood on both sides.

HTH