Question for Kelloggs36

Blue_Horizon

Hi Kelloggs - someone from another thread suggested you might be able to answer my question.

I'm on CSA2 and my case is with the clerical section, address in Crewe.

The payments schedule that I've received shows a date range for payment to the CSA - e.g. 26 September to 25 October. I spoke to the CSA and they said I must pay at the beginning of this, ie, in advance. But I'm still wondering whether I really should pay at the end, ie, in this case by 25 October?

Most advice seems to be that I should pay in arrears, but I want to be absolutely sure about this and not get fall foul of the system.

Thanks in advance

DUTR

Obviously I'm not Kellogs36, however the time the csa have made contact you are already in arrears ,
Eg, lets assume you got the brown envelope last Monday, sent it back Tuesday and agreeing with 'accusation' etc, it takes a few weeks before the schedule arrives.
I know with my case, it took 5 months to sort and the start payment date was in the future, but allowed for another month of arrears.
HTH

Blue_Horizon

DUTR - Thanks, but I don't think I will be in arrears until after the second date on my payment schedule has passed. It seems that most schedules have a single date - mine has two.

LizzieS_2

I'll make up some amounts & dates to show you how it works.

£100pm 1 October to 30 November
£ 80pm 1 December to 31 December
£ 75pm from 1 January

The first payment must reach them by 1 October
The second by 1 November
Third by 1 December
fourth 1 January
fifth 1 February

Basically the end date will be the date when that particular amount is going to change.

Blue_Horizon

Hi Lizzie - I think your examples show payment in advance as it is made at the start of the period. I have to say I'm confused by this.

DUTR

Blue_Horizon wrote: »

DUTR - Thanks, but I don't think I will be in arrears until after the second date on my payment schedule has passed. It seems that most schedules have a single date - mine has two.

How they explained it (csa) to me, was that , and it makes sense, otherwise one could be paying support for a child that is not yet even born, all payments have to be in arrears even if in my case by one week.

LizzieS_2

As DUTR says payments are collected in arrears, but the csa take that into account when producing the schedule (it is highly unlikely the csa would ever produce a schedule immediately after a call so arrears always accrue anyway). Date payment starts = payment due for previous week/month/4 weeks.

CSA's own booklet defines date payment starts as "The date you must
start paying the child maintenance." It doesn't even remotely suggest you add a further week/month/4 weeks.

http://www.csa.gov.uk/en/PDF/leaflets/new/CSL305.pdf