CSA question

Legacy_user

My friends ex is a serving soldier in Iraq and prior to leaving the country he cancelled his standing order to the CSA so that no maintenance would be paid for his son. According to the CSA there is nothing they can do as he is out of the country and the army are not cooperative with the CSA.
Does anyone know if this is true?

Also apparently he gets paid an extra £50 per day whilst he is out there. Does anyone know if this can be classed as a change of circumstances and the extra included in the calculation?

sarahlouise210

It states on the CSA website that they can deal with claims where the non resident parent works/lives overseas and is in the armed forces

Justicia

sarahlouise210 wrote:

It states on the CSA website that they can deal with claims where the non resident parent works/lives overseas and is in the armed forces

Too right.

When parents live abroad.
The Child Support Agency can only deal with an application for child maintenance when both parents and the child live in the UK.

The only exceptions to this are when the non-resident parent or the parent with care:

is working abroad in the service of the crown, i.e. – is a civil servant or works within Her Majesty's diplomatic service or within Her Majesty's overseas civil service.

is a member of the Armed Forces

works abroad for a UK based company, i.e. it employs people to work outside the UK but makes payments via a UK payroll; and the company is registered under the companies act 1985 (England, Wales and Scotland) or the companies (Northern Ireland) order 1986.

works abroad on secondment for a prescribed body, for example, - from a NHS trust; or regional health authority; or primary care trust; or local authority.

You can get more advice about whether these rules apply to you from our National Helpline on 0044151 2431901.

Source: CSA: When parents live abroad

Advise your friend to get back in touch with the CSA as soon as possible, even quoting their own website if necessary.

If they continue with the line of the Armed Forces not "cooperating" with them, then perhaps her local MP should be getting involved to find out why this is?

pabby-ellis

Hi, all CSAC's have an Armed Forces Focal Point. this person may be worth trying to locate in your CSA centre. i can tell you who it is in the Plymouth centre - go for it girl!! :j

Dora_the_Explorer_5

I have every sympathy with women who wish the father of their child or children to support their offspring financially, using the CSA when appropriate and serving members of the armed forces are not exempted from this. However in times of war things may not run as smoothly as in peacetime.

Justicia

Dora_the_Explorer wrote:

I have every sympathy with women who wish the father of their child or children to support their offspring financially, using the CSA when appropriate and serving members of the armed forces are not exempted from this. However in times of war things may not run as smoothly as in peacetime.

I agree, but if it is the case that the individual concerned delibrately cancelled the payments to the CSA and his son, believing that he could "escape" them using that excuse then that is unacceptable. Also, there may be a war being fought, but I would suspect that the Forces staff who deal with issues related to this are UK-based office administration rather than "busy" (understatement, I am aware), threatened front-line infantry fighters...

Savvy_Sue

Dora_the_Explorer wrote:

I have every sympathy with women who wish the father of their child or children to support their offspring financially, using the CSA when appropriate and serving members of the armed forces are not exempted from this. However in times of war things may not run as smoothly as in peacetime.

Oh, did we declare war on Iraq then? Must have missed that. I thought we were peacekeeping over there now anyway.

But not to stray from the point, surely members of the armed forces are paid into a UK bank account, regardless of where they are stationed, so why the CSA should claim - against what the website says - that they can't help I do not know!

Sounds like the OP's friend's ex is trying to pull a fast one. I hope she is able to sort it out.

Sorry Justicia, cross posted with you!

Justicia

Savvy_Sue wrote:

Sorry Justicia, cross posted with you!

No need to apologise; no problem!

System

Thanks for your help it seems whoever my friend spoke to doesn't know their job.

Pabby-ellis if you could send me the name of the focal point person then perhaps my friend could point her local CSA in the direction of getting the correct information. Having worked for the IR I'm sure the CSA have some sort of internal email system.

Tabbykatt

After speaking to the CSA this morning, I am all too aware that they seem to pass the buck from one person/department/organisation to another. There seem to be far too many people who work for the CSA that do not know how to do their job, or so their colleagues say. When will someone there take responsibility?

As for HM Forces being no help... Thats complete b*****s! (Excuse my language!). They take any of their personnel shunning their parental responsibilties very personally as it reflects badly on the 'standard' of their men. Can your friend not get hold of the admin/heirachy for her Ex's battalion/squadron etc and explain what he has done??
My Ex is in the RAF and I know he dare not miss one payment! Thank goodness!

Savvy_Sue

Tabbykatt wrote:

As for HM Forces being no help... Thats complete b*****s! (Excuse my language!). They take any of their personnel shunning their parental responsibilties very personally as it reflects badly on the 'standard' of their men. Can your friend not get hold of the admin/heirachy for her Ex's battalion/squadron etc and explain what he has done??

I thought that too! Although it's a long time since I knew anyone in the armed forces!