Child Maintenance (CSA) questions (merged)

jellyhead

so it would be 20 percent then, i hope you get it. my sis is on tax credits and she started a csa claim when her ex wouldn't pay for ballet lessons, that was 2 years ago and initial forms were filled in and nothing else done - the csa will do nothing. in the meantime her ex continues to pay her the amount they agreed when splitting up, he also has the boys for 2 nights each week and takes them on holiday twice a year (once to stay with his family at the seasise, once for a camping or caravan holiday in this country - not expensive holidays but the boys enjoy them). shame not all fathers are like that.

dwsjarcmcd

I am on the other side of the coin, in that I pay maintenance, school fees etc but I begrudge my daughter not one penny of it, I thought I would offer some thoughts on what is always a difficult subject. By the way, not all dads are callous sods who don't care about their kids. It breaks my heart to be away from my fantastic daughter (she is going to be my best person when I re-marry next year!) Likewise I can't abide parents, usually dads, who don't face up to their responsibilities. So for the practicle stuff!
1. Firstly, I think the CSA rule for 2 kids is 25% of income not 20% but check!
2. Maintenance is not means tested for tax credits, if you are working 16 hours or more, you should be claiming these.
3. Does your ex live with his G/F? If so, then her income can be included in the assessment of their joint income. Not a nice thing to do but something to be aware of if he doesn't play ball.
Good luck!

helen21_2

dwsjarcmcd wrote:

I am on the other side of the coin, in that I pay maintenance, school fees etc but I begrudge my daughter not one penny of it, I thought I would offer some thoughts on what is always a difficult subject. By the way, not all dads are callous sods who don't care about their kids. It breaks my heart to be away from my fantastic daughter (she is going to be my best person when I re-marry next year!) Likewise I can't abide parents, usually dads, who don't face up to their responsibilities. So for the practicle stuff!
1. Firstly, I think the CSA rule for 2 kids is 25% of income not 20% but check!
2. Maintenance is not means tested for tax credits, if you are working 16 hours or more, you should be claiming these.
3. Does your ex live with his G/F? If so, then her income can be included in the assessment of their joint income. Not a nice thing to do but something to be aware of if he doesn't play ball.
Good luck!

It is 20% on the new system for two children.
On the new system partners money is not included in any assessments.

calleyw

According to the CSA Web site:

15 per cent if there is one qualifying child;

20 per cent for two qualifying children; and

25 per cent for three or more qualifying children.

So with two children 20% is right.

It use to be if you where claiming the WTFC which was before the WTC and CTC the csa got involved automatically but my husband is on the old system.

Also why should the person who has nothing to do with the child have to include there income even if they live together. So the GF income is nothing to do with it. Just like if you are the PWC has a new partner there income is not taken in to consideration.

Dam we need to be on the new system. Not that it will ever happen. As my income is counted. Not that I work at the moment. So they can't have what I don't earn.

Hope you get this sorted out quickly. The csa can be a pain. Like taking 26 weeks yes that is right to do an intial assesement. And for a re-assessment which my husband is about to go through he has been told it will take 13 weeks. Yes 13 weeks so they can run up a nice lot of back pay. As he has gone from not working to working. But he will be arranging payments every month until he gets new figures anyway.

Also we here told not sure if it is a 100% true that once a child hits 16/18 depending on educationally status. That any back pay will be wiped as you are no longer a active case on there system.

Yours

Calley

Pooky

My ex was much the same - paid regularly without hitch then phoned one day to say "I'm moving in with my new girlfriend, I've got rent to provide for her and her kids as she will stop getting housing benifit so I can't pay maintenance for the next 4 months at least and then only half after I'm sorted".......hmmmmmmmm, on the phone to the CSA straight away - they assessed him within 2 weeks and I only actually had 3 weeks without payments - they've been regular ever since and I've had no trouble at all from the CSA.

Don't get me wrong - if he couldn't afford it then I wouldn't have pushed the issue, but if the CSA assess that he can afford "x" amount (which was actually £20 a week more than he'd been paying anyway) then why should he not pay!

babysaver

Hi

I know there are millions of horror stories about CSA but the press only ever report one side - you know the kind of thing - "woman only has £5 from CSA for kids" and the very next story can be "poor guy having to pay £100 for his kids". You never hear about the guy who's paying the £5 or the woman getting £100.

Anyway, if you are able to provide your ex's address and employer they should be able to do an assessment quite quickly. Its the ducking and diving that causes them to take ages...Chase them up every week though until its assessed - good luck!!

calleyw

Pooky wrote:

....hmmmmmmmm, on the phone to the CSA straight away - they assessed him within 2 weeks and I only actually had 3 weeks without payments - they've been regular ever since and I've had no trouble at all from the CSA.

Why can't they do this with every case it should not take to long to assess as all it is typing a few figures in to a computer. They are so ineffiecent (sp?).

And makes me laugh everytime we get a letter or a phone call as they say it is the Department of Work and Pensions. Pardon who. We asked why they say that and they said they are not allowed to leave an answer machine message that says the CSA.

Anyone who is living or in my case married to someone who has kids will know they are going to have dealings with the CSA.

Also when they are doing an assessment that takes 26 weeks they don't ask for any payments. So you could well go with out any money for 6 months :eek: Why they don't ask for say interim payments I never know. At the time we where naive when dealing with them and didn't think to query it. And didn't realise they where going to be running up nearly 2K in back pay :eek: ?

Also make sure you make a note of who and when you speak to someone. As my husband spoke to them over a week ago telling them he was making a payment. No one recorded it on the system so they phoned on saturday morning asking about it. Not that they we where in. I would not phone on a saturday morning as I have feeling they update the systems so you get very little info out of them.

Yours

Calley

black-saturn

Becles wrote:

I've thought about this overnight and I'm cross now!

His annual income is more than double mine, yet I manage to provide a home and pay my way for 3 people on my income. If he's spent too much and now has problems, it's his own fault and nothing to do with us.

You hit the nail on the head there. It's his duty to support the children. You need the money more than he does. If he won't carry on paying go through the CSA. My claim only took a month and it was sorted.

Other than that you could try joining this board who are more clued up on things like this:

Lone Parent Connection Portal

Scoflo

It is worth knowing that if you are a non-resident parent and feel you are paying over the top as a voluntary agreement CSA can be involved then also, even if neither party or not on benefits. In my circumstances I as paid very quickly by my ex on invloving CSA and my partners took longer but without the CSA we would have been bankrupt as extraordinary amounts were demanded and she withheld access until money was received. On one occasion she withheld contact until a lump sum of £500 was handed over, in excess of what was paid to CSA. But that's another story.

sweetjamster

apply to the court under schedule 1 of the children act 1989. the csa calculations are only voluntary. if he decides to stop the payments, you can apply to the court for an order for maintenance "for the benefit of the children". if you are not earning a lot, you may qualify for community legal service funding (legal aid)