Child Maintenance (CSA) questions (merged)

kelloggs36

yes, you can opt for direct pay if you want to - provided you are not on benefits

IndiaRose

Thanks for the help.

I ended up having to speak to a supervisor today because the woman (case worker? not sure if that's her title) insisted that I must give them my bank details and be paid through them because that's what the other ex wanted.

I got the "she's new" excuse from her boss, but hopefully she's off my case. Thank you all for your help

steve_toby

StockportGerbil wrote: »

Hi!
You do need to have a chat with the CAB sooner rather than later, but I think the CSA are right. They are solely interested in your income, what you have paid in maintainance for your child and how many nights a week you have her FROM THE POINT IN TIME YOU WERE REPORTED TO THEM. So up-front payments and previous agreements are ignored. Sorry. As your assessment is under the new scheme then the CSA will expect you to pay 15% of your take home income minus any additional pension contributions outside a works scheme. This contribution will drop by a seventh for each night per week you have your daughter.

When dealing with the CSA it is essential to keep copies of all correspondance as they have (in my experience and that of my partner) a well earned reputation for incompetence, which is always blamed on the computer. Similarly check the figures they use to calculate the maintainance.

Good luck

Kevin

great advice,will check what details csa are using against me

dazzanic_2

Hi, i have been divorced for 10 years, and have 2 kids, one 13 one 10 and have paid the asked amount to the csa for that time. I have received a letter from the csa stating i am being re assessed and that they now know im re-married and want my wifes details too, is this legal?
My wife and i cannot have kids of our own now and feel discusted the csa want her financial details in order to assess, can anyone help, its driving us mad

Donedoingdebt

It's not quite as bad as it first appears.
Your Wife's income will NOT be taken into account in the original assessment.
When they have calculated the assessment figure (Your wages, Housing costs, Council Tax & half of any payment you make towards a pension) you need to be left with a protected amount of income.
If you were single, & were left with an amount less than the protected income then you may have a nil assessment.
However, this is where they take your Wife's salary into account. They will add your 2 salaries together to find out the total household income. If this is higher than the protected income level, then you will pay your assessment in full.
All the above is assuming you're on the old rules (CS1) system.

kelloggs36

Except for the fact that council tax is not counted in the initial assessment - only the protected income part. If you want to PM me with details I will happily do a comparitive assessment for you.

SuziQ

Donedoingdebt wrote: »

It's not quite as bad as it first appears.
Your Wife's income will NOT be taken into account in the original assessment.
When they have calculated the assessment figure (Your wages, Housing costs, Council Tax & half of any payment you make towards a pension) you need to be left with a protected amount of income.
If you were single, & were left with an amount less than the protected income then you may have a nil assessment.
However, this is where they take your Wife's salary into account. They will add your 2 salaries together to find out the total household income. If this is higher than the protected income level, then you will pay your assessment in full.
All the above is assuming you're on the old rules (CS1) system.

This is what happened with me and my second husband. Unfortunately the CSA don't take off any childcare costs before doing this,so we ending up being worse off than if I didn't work,so that with other factors (ie my youngest was also special needs and having trouble settling in childcare) mademe give up my career.

miller76

My husband is still on the old system at the CSA and is paying £550 a month to his ex partner, under the new system it would be £280, which I find very hard to believe. We have asked for a reassesment but it only came down by £30! they tell me the only way we could be put on the new system is for me to open a case against my husband for our child, I am still with my husband, but this sounds very tempting! Does anyone have any other advice on getting put on the new system please?

highlandgurl

missprice wrote: »

most customers of the csa pay be dd or s/o. very few pay cash because it costs more.

Sorry if i'm hi-jacking this thread but can anyone explain how paying cash costs more? Just my OH pays his maintenace payments in cash and wondering if we would be better with DD or something? Thanks

kelloggs36

it doesn't cost more unless there is a charge for paying via paying in slips at the post office?