CSA making a big mistake....Help please.

vanilla

My husband recieved a letter back in 2005 from CSA stating two children's names on the form as well as the mother's names. One was our daughter and one was a child we had never heard of. There was no other forms with it, just the phone number.

So i rang them an explained that there must be a mistake as my husband doesn't know this child or the mother. They rang back later and stated that it could be a mistake (it is a mistake) and they will look into it. We then get a phone call stating it is a mistake and that would be the last we would here from them.

We hear nothing from them until october 2009 stating that he is to pay for this child so i ring again and they state he should have filled in the form (what form we didn't get one with the first letter thats why i rang them and even then they never mentioned a form). We explained about the last contact we had with them.

So we ask some questions, where is the mother from-sorry we can't tell you. Hubby asks what county are they from-sorry we can't tell you but they are from England.
What proof has been given-sorry we can't tell you.
Is there a signature on the birth cert-sorry we can't tell you.
Did she ever live in Northern Ireland-sorry we can't tell you.

So after some time we are told nothing really. We ask what do we do, take a DNA test they tell us but we have to pay for it and the quote is £458. We ask for a letter saying that we need to do this and when the test comes back and tells us he is not the father, he'll get his money back. We also as for a leaflet to be sent out about it. We're told they will send it, nothing ever arrives.

Start of December we go and see the MP, he rings and we're told that they will request the case files and look into it. Great we think, this mess will be sorted out soon. We hear nothing until Janurary when a letter arrives saying no he's to pay for this child and if we don't agree we should go to court and this should be done in 28 days. We decide it's time to see a solicitor, she is shocked that all we know is when this child was born and that they live somewhere in England.

The solicitor rings and asks what court should this be taken too as the mother lives in England and hubby is in Northern Ireland, they say they don't know and would need to look at the case files, where are these case files nobody seems to have them.

We've heard nothing since so i'm going to chase it up tomorrow. I've never had to really deal with the CSA before so i don't know what way it works. When me and hubby where only bf/gf i made a claim to CSA for our daughter so his information would be on that but how have they put it with this other woman and child.

The reason i'm trying to sort this is that my hubby suffers from schizophrenia and couldn't deal with this all himself, he knows about it but it's too much for him. The letter came when he was going through a really bad relapse and it just made him alot worse, it was a very stressful time for us all.

Sorry i'm waffling on but i don't know what to do next. I know they have the wrong person as hubby has not been to England since being a child. When this child was concieved he was with me 24/7 because of his illness he was very paranoid so never left my side. What worries me is that the CSA haven't been in touch, they haven't got the case file and really don't seemed that interested. What should be our next step?

Any advice would be great, thanks.

magpiecottage

There is a CSA complaint form here, if it helps

DUTR

vanilla wrote: »

My husband recieved a letter back in 2005 from CSA stating two children's names on the form as well as the mother's names. One was our daughter and one was a child we had never heard of. There was no other forms with it, just the phone number.

(waffle snipped)

Sorry i'm waffling on but i don't know what to do next. I know they have the wrong person as hubby has not been to England since being a child. When this child was concieved he was with me 24/7 because of his illness he was very paranoid so never left my side. What worries me is that the CSA haven't been in touch, they haven't got the case file and really don't seemed that interested. What should be our next step?

Any advice would be great, thanks.

The 1st letter one gets is a MEF form where the accused is given the opportunity to dispute paternity, then an invite to participate in a paternity test is offered, depending upon the results there is a case or not a case. Everything is done by letter not over the phone.

vanilla

DUTR wrote: »

The 1st letter one gets is a MEF form where the accused is given the opportunity to dispute paternity, then an invite to participate in a paternity test is offered, depending upon the results there is a case or not a case. Everything is done by letter not over the phone.

Yes but there was no form with it, if there had been a form it would have been filled in asap and sent back. I would not have had to rang them. All there was was a sheet with two children's names on it and two mother's names on it also how much was to be paid.
The second letter was pretty much the same only missing the mother's names out.

DUTR

vanilla wrote: »

Yes but there was no form with it, if there had been a form it would have been filled in asap and sent back. I would not have had to rang them. All there was was a sheet with two children's names on it and two mother's names on it also how much was to be paid.
The second letter was pretty much the same only missing the mother's names out.

Unless your partner may have opened the original form and discarded it and the letter you have could be a follow up letter from the MEF form, in either case I would have dealt with the csa via written words only .
Good Luck whichever way the outcome.

shell_542

What a nightmare. You could contact NACSA (google it) and they may be able to advise you. There is a fee to join.

chall1964

Hi,

Has a liability assessment already been calculated by the agency?

Re; Disputing parentage.

The following link will take you to the agencies leaflet http://www.csa.gov.uk/en/PDF/leaflets/new/CSL304.pdf

Have the agency agreed to a DNA test and who has quoted you £458 for such?

Try this link http://www.csa.gov.uk/en/case/dna-testing.asp It states the full fee for testing three people (two adults and one child) is £281.05. Currently, the discounted rate is £215.69.

shell_542

I would assume the approx £500 figure was for a completely privately done DNA thest. That's what my husband was quoted by Cellmark. Fortunately, as the PWC and child had already had a test done not long before, they still had them on file and they only had to test my husband, resulting in the cost reducing.

The thing is OP, if they're telling you its too late to get a DNA test done through the CSA and you have to get one done privately, how on earth do they expect you to do that when you don't even know who this mother and child is!?

Have you asked your solicitor if there is anyway you can find out who this person is to communicate with them directly? Then if they confirm there's been an error, they can tell the CSA to back off.

chall1964

shell_542 wrote: »

The thing is OP, if they're telling you its too late to get a DNA test done through the CSA and you have to get one done privately, how on earth do they expect you to do that when you don't even know who this mother and child is!?

- If the agency can not assume parentage, then they can not calculate liability. In which case they will need to arrange a DNA test. Obviously if the DNA test returns negative, then it will cost the OP nothing.

- If liability has already been calculated, as there has been enough info for the agency to assume parentage, the OP in this case will need to apply to the court for both a DNA test and the whereabouts of the child.

Need the OP to confirm the position.

shell_542

chall1964 wrote: »

- If the agency can not assume parentage, then they can not calculate liability. In which case they will need to arrange a DNA test. Obviously if the DNA test returns negative, then it will cost the OP nothing.

- If liability has already been calculated, as there has been enough info for the agency to assume parentage, the OP in this case will need to apply to the court for both a DNA test and the whereabouts of the child.

Need the OP to confirm the position.

From what I can gather from the OP, they have assumed parentage because the supposed NRP didn't ask for a DNA test back when (because they were told incorrect information).

Looks like it is in the hands of the courts now OP, judging by the last part of the PP's post. Your solicitor should know/find out what you need to do. Sadly, you may have to part with some cash to sort this mess out to confirm the child is not your husband's.

kaya

Thats so funny, im sure it isn't from your perspective but its just another monumental csa !!!! up, expecting you to fork out for an un-named and unidentified child without giving you any information is absolutely insane but oh so typical of the attitude of this criminal organisation, talk about trying it on