I give up! CSA wins.

Mekon

After a rather messy and expensive divorce, I was voluntarily paying £60/week for my children. I had infrequent contact with my children (my fault for the job I have), I some times paid at different times and different amounts, but paid for every week in the end (again my fault for not setting up a SO).

I went on holiday abroard, my first one in 30 years, I paid in advance of a months payment, came back and didn't pay for 2 weeks (as I was in advance still). My ex had contacted the CSA in the meantime and I received a letter off them, explaining what they will be doing.

I took it to my solicitor and he told me I didn't have to pay the volunteer payments, thought it was harsh on the kids, but stopped paying as I thought a CSA decision would be made quickly. How wrong was I. Started paying volunteer payments of £75/week about 9 weeks after CSA letter. It was nearly a year later before I got a decision off CSA.

I needed to pay nearly £110/week. S*1t. They also sent a claim for arrears of £6000. Despite my comments that I had paid volunteer payments. Had to prove it, so photocopied my bank statements, which I kept, and sent off the originals, high-lighting the payments made. Expected a major reduction in arrears, it never happened.

Queried it, they "never got the paperwork or statements", "send them again" ? I photocopied the photocopies and resent them off (registered post), nothing heard, contacted them again "they didn't get the paperwork" (AAAAArrrggggghhhhhh). Sent off again, chased it up by phone a few weeks later, to be told they don't accept photocopies? WHY? J...e...e...z! It's like a perpetual merry go-around

After a couple of years go by, I asked for a full history of payments made, I made this request by phone and email (not allowed) so sent a request by registered mail (three times, never got anything back).

My £110/week consisted of upto £15/week arrears, this was changed earlier this year to £110 with only £3.46/week going to arrears, I sent no payslip history, no change in details and yet I now pay less arrears. Just don't understand how this happpens?

My son has now reached 16. We hardly ever talk, so I cannot find out about his life or plans. How do I know if he is still in full time education? I'm sure he left school this September (?), have I stiil got to pay CSA the money, until they make the enquiries?

I very much doubt my ex will pass on any details to me.

I just wonder if this is CSA's way to deal with everything, just to blank you all the time? Is there a sure fired way of getting a copy of your full history paymemts and how long do you have before you no longer can claim your volunteer payments against claimed arrears by the CSA?

On CSA1 and paying 33 - 37% of current pay, my income has dropped because of this so called credit crunch, by as much as £70/week, do I have a right to call a review? CSA has said in the past, that I don't! Unbelievable.

Luckily, have been able to re-mortgage house. To help pay for much needed work on house and strive off shortfall. Just hope CC gets better within 6 months, or may lose everything.

Hate to gamble.

Any advice?

God, I hate this whole mess.

jpmummy

I managed to get a copy of all payments made, however, I could not make head nor tail of anything on there! I am still waiting for Dudley to call me back. The woman who was supposed to call me back is a manager there and has not had the decency to phone - given up now that was back in June. They are rubbish, hope you get sorted x

Donedoingdebt

You have every right to request a re-assessment at any time you wish, particularly if you have a change in circumstances.
Phone them initially & tell them that you are requesting a re-assessment from the date of this phone call.
Then follow this up with all the necessary supporting documents asap & send this by recorded delivery. Keep copies of all documents & note down time/dates of all phone calls & if possible, note the name of the person that deals with you.
They may not act quickly, but they do have to act on your written requests.

samjackjord

Who is the CSA there to help because as I see it they don't help the resident or non resident parent. Sorry for hijacking the thread but I just want to say that if you request to speak to a team leader and that you wish to make a formal complaint if the problem/ queries are not resolved to your satisfaction they soon get there thumb from up there a..e and do something.

little_miss_thrifty

Hi there
We luckily do not hear from the CSA now, although we still pay through them on the new system...they always used to give us the run around and i wouldn't put up with it. The office we used to deal with continuously lost our original paperwork, so we eventually sent them nothing but photocopies and they accepted it - they still have my husbands pension information somewhere in their office. It finally came to a head when they wanted his payslips which we sent; but they never received. Again they asked for them i and said, you are welcome to request them, straight from his accountant, at their expense to reproduce as we were not going to do it again.
I wrote a letter to our MP who wrote to the 'team' dealing with our case and they have been fine ever since.
I know it is hard, but try not to let them bully you. And insist on anything they return to you, recorded delivery, otherwise it will be at their expense to replace important documents.

Can't comment on the school leavers part, as we have not had that experience yet!!

Good luck

samjackjord

Ifyou have parental responsibility(sometimes even if you don't) then you can contact the school or your local education authority and ask for his education details i.e did he leave in july this year or carry on into 6th form or go to college.

marksoton

OP, any payments you volunteered will not be counted unless the PWC agrees or they were clearly marked as child maintenace.

You can request a full breakdown,go to the NACSA website there is a template letter.

Request a reassessment straight away. How much are your arrears now ?

As for finding out whether you are still liable that is more tricky.If the PWC is still claiming child benefit you will be expected to pay. However if your son is working full time or not in full time education she would be doing so fraudulently. Have you no way of finding out ?

Mekon

Thanks everyone,

I'll try writing again, with the threat of contacting my MP and do so if no joy.

Marksoton, I don't know what my arrears are, CSA wont talk to me. I assume I have nearly paid in full as my payment arrears went from £15/ week to just under £4/week; 4 years = 52x £15 = £780 x 4 years = £3120 + last year at £4 = £200 approx. So paid over £3300 back so far (my reckoning ....not CSA's.)

I have one other query.

I'm about to go back to work with my old boss, hopefully this will put me 120 miles closer to my kids, although I may or may not be worse off financially. I pay £110/ week voluntarily through the CSA, although I think I would be better off if I paid through a payment order through work. I used to have to pay £1/ week to my boss, but when I took a week off work he never paid the CSA, where as now when I take a week off I still have £110 debited by the CSA and then only have about £120 left to pay bills that amount to £420 each week! I try not to take too many weeks off!

I'm wonderig if it's worth not paying for a couple of weeks and getting a payment order again?

marksoton

Mekon wrote: »

Thanks everyone,

I'll try writing again, with the threat of contacting my MP and do so if no joy.

Marksoton, I don't know what my arrears are, CSA wont talk to me. I assume I have nearly paid in full as my payment arrears went from £15/ week to just under £4/week; 4 years = 52x £15 = £780 x 4 years = £3120 + last year at £4 = £200 approx. So paid over £3300 back so far (my reckoning ....not CSA's.)

I have one other query.

I'm about to go back to work with my old boss, hopefully this will put me 120 miles closer to my kids, although I may or may not be worse off financially. I pay £110/ week voluntarily through the CSA, although I think I would be better off if I paid through a payment order through work. I used to have to pay £1/ week to my boss, but when I took a week off work he never paid the CSA, where as now when I take a week off I still have £110 debited by the CSA and then only have about £120 left to pay bills that amount to £420 each week! I try not to take too many weeks off!

I'm wonderig if it's worth not paying for a couple of weeks and getting a payment order again?

If you had a DEO then i can only assume you have now gone SE ?

If you do not want to pay for a couple of weeks then go ahead, good luck to you. I fail to see how that will help you out.

Mekon

marksoton wrote: »

If you had a DEO then i can only assume you have now gone SE ?

If you do not want to pay for a couple of weeks then go ahead, good luck to you. I fail to see how that will help you out.

No, Not self employed. The reason why I'm thinking like this is, when I'm forced to pay through work payments rather than a voluntary payment, I will be better off for 4 weeks of the year when I take my holidays.

I pay £109/week, at the moment, but it's coming out of my bank account.
If,
I pay through my wages, I have to be left a 'minimum amount' so when I was on holiday, my boss never deducted any money from my wages for those 4 weeks. Therefore better off by £436/ year or £8.38/week!

I know this doesn't reduce my debt, but it does lower my payments to almost an affordable level.

Now do you see?

LizzieS_2

Mekon wrote: »

No, Not self employed. The reason why I'm thinking like this is, when I'm forced to pay through work payments rather than a voluntary payment, I will be better off for 4 weeks of the year when I take my holidays.

I pay £109/week, at the moment, but it's coming out of my bank account.
If,
I pay through my wages, I have to be left a 'minimum amount' so when I was on holiday, my boss never deducted any money from my wages for those 4 weeks. Therefore better off by £436/ year or £8.38/week!

I know this doesn't reduce my debt, but it does lower my payments to almost an affordable level.

Now do you see?

Err no, you will be accruing arrears as the csa are assuming 52 payments not 48.

Agree your boss must leave you a minimum amount each week, however if he fails to collect one week he must collect extra in future weeks to cover the shortfall (assuming there is a difference between minimum amount and pay after usual weekly deduction) - failure could result in the csa fining his company £1000.