Advice needed - Maladministration?

topcatgbr

Hi.
Bear with me please, details are intricate.
Since 2008 I have been paying an additional £80 per month due to arrears that built up after the CSA sent mail to the wrong address and was not realised for several months. Despite reassessment going down the arrears accumulated were enforced.
Arrears were meant to finish this November and as my son is 16 I queried the payment schedule. Subsequently it turned out my case should have reverted to new rules in 2006 as my ex had filed another case. I queried as to the arrears that were paid as they would not have happened had the case been moved to new rules in 2006.
The CSA then did a new calculation which in turn incurred a further £320 in arrears. I was informed I had only overpaid by £5.12 during the last 3 years despite being informed by one member of staff that I had been overpaying by £10-£20 per week.
I spoke to Citizen Advice who advised me to instigate the complaints process which I did.
After my complaint was recieved I was informed by telephone that my schedule had been redone as I had overpaid by around £250 and the arrears would be passed to special payments who would look into compensation levels. Subsequently the person dealing with my complaint has been off sick for the past two weeks apparently.
Nobody could answer my questions and therefore I upped the complaint to be reviewed as per their procedures.
In turn I was asked by a new member of the team what the complaint was. They did not have reference to the initial complaint and it now turns out that the arrears that were paid are incorporated into the new payment schedule and form part of any overpayment.
I have a letter telling me what my payments should have been under the new rules for the past three years and I have calculated manually myself that overpayments totalled around £349; this did not include the £1,200.20 in arrears that were paid as the CSA are saying.
Can anyone advise me on how to further force the issues I have without speaking to rude and obnoxious staff members. Is there any way I can ask for a manager to deal with it?
Responses would be appreciated.
Regards
Kevin

topcatgbr

Hi
CSA have been in touch saying they are going to do another full breakdown of payments. They are still not taking into account that had my case reverted to new rules when it should have the arrears would not have occurred.
I tried explaining but they don't listen.
The arrears would not be there had they changed to new rules.
It has taken 4 months to get nowhere and I have recieved no full answers to my complaints as yet, only 4 different payment schedules.
I would appreciate any advice on how to pursue this as according to (I.C.E.) I need to have had a full response.

Thanx

Donedoingdebt

This sounds like one of those cases where you're given a complete runaround by the CSA because one section has no clue what another section is up to.

Although this seems like it should be a relatively simple matter to deal with, because of the CSA's history of regularly over complicating matters, I think I'd be inclined to get in touch with NACSA www.nacsa.co.uk for advice on how to best move forward with this.

Sensemaya

The only way of getting anything done is via your MP. Although I'm a PWC the sticky link at the top of this forum will give you advice on what to do.

I wouldn't involve ICE yet. I've found if you deal with the MP first, hopefully it will be put right.

Completely agree with you in how they are rude, incompetent and can't be bothered making things right.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/specialist-guides/financial-redress/

My favourite link.

Steve40_2

as previously stated above you could contact your MP who will take the matter up with the commissioners office who is likely to put the case in the hands of the falkirk office who will do a complete investigation into the account dont be surprised if things get worse it does happen.
The important thing to remember is that you must keep your MP in the loop and send any letters for the office dealing with the complaint VIA your MP .
At the end of the complaint if your not happy your MP will probably ask the independant case examiner to examine the case.
You have to of exhausted all other routes of complaint before the indepndant case examiner will pick up the case,you should get a letter from the csa giving you a decision it should say at the bottom of the letter that you have the right to instruct the ICE team.

These are only my experiences i hope it helps