Need some help with CSA

Roundabout_2

Hi Im new to these forums but have read all the posts and people are really helpful. Ill start with a bit of background and then ill ask my question.

I separated from my ex-wife in 2006 and have always accepted responsibility for supporting my 3 children. She has never worked not even before the children arrived. As soon as we were seperated I was hit with an automatic deduction for the CSA from my wages, no chance was given to negotiate this was what she wanted. The initial calculation was made from a payslip provided by my employer with lots of overtime on it and the deduction was massive. Despite me telling them that I could not afford to make this payment and continue to pay for my car which was on finance and my rent for a flat they simply and bluntly told me "walk, and move in with mum"

With no other alternative I had to surrender my car, which I am still paying for and move in with parents. Down the line the payments settlet down and in 2008 I moved jobs. I notified the CSA of this change and heard nothing from them for 3 months until on my 4th payday I recieved my payslip showing my pay less £800 CSA deduction. I contacted them and they informed me that this was my arrears for the 3 months and repayments would be taken for 11 months. (They had calculated my arrears on a payslip with lots and lots of overtime).

I told them again that I could not possibly afford to pay this and support myself too, again they were disinterested and insisted on taking the payments each month regardless of how much I was left with to live on. In May 2009 I got made redundant and the CSA are taking £5 of my JSA. I want to return to work, the job center are pressurising me to take a low paid job but I dont know what to do. In the job center they did a better off calculation and told me that should I take a minimum wage job I would be left with £140 per week. I then told the lady that the CSA want 40% and that the amount I would be left with would not pay my rent (£470pcm) let alone allow me to live. The lady at the job center then contacted the CSA to clarify my situation and informed her that 40% is what they would take.

This leaves me in a mess. I have the job center informing me that If i am offered a minimum wage job i have to take it or have my JSA, HB and CTB sanctioned. And if I take the job after tax, NI and CSA deduction I wont have enough to live on. The council have said I would not qualify for HB or CTB if I took a minimum wage job as they dont accept CSA as a valid deduction from my wage and the CSA are categorically refusing to budge on the arrears deduction.

All of this is causing extreme emotional stress on my as I dont know where to turn. The CAB were of no use and I was misinformed of the CSA mimimum payment by them (i went to adviceguide.org to clarify)

I dont have a relationship with my parents no more and really dont know where to turn ................

shellsuit

Wow, that's harsh

Are you on speaking terms with your ex wife at all?

PlayingHardball

Roundabout wrote: »

Hi Im new to these forums but have read all the posts and people are really helpful. Ill start with a bit of background and then ill ask my question.

I separated from my ex-wife in 2006 and have always accepted responsibility for supporting my 3 children. She has never worked not even before the children arrived. As soon as we were seperated I was hit with an automatic deduction for the CSA from my wages, no chance was given to negotiate this was what she wanted. For them to do this, you must have been non-compliant with payments. The initial calculation was made from a payslip provided by my employer with lots of overtime on it and the deduction was massive. Did you tell them you didn't earn this much each month and then did you provide accurate payslips? Despite me telling them that I could not afford to make this payment and continue to pay for my car which was on finance and my rent for a flat they simply and bluntly told me "walk, and move in with mum"

With no other alternative I had to surrender my car, which I am still paying for and move in with parents. Down the line the payments settlet down and in 2008 I moved jobs. I notified the CSA of this change and heard nothing from them for 3 months (did you continue payments during the 3 months?) until on my 4th payday I recieved my payslip showing my pay less £800 CSA deduction. I contacted them and they informed me that this was my arrears for the 3 months and repayments would be taken for 11 months. (They had calculated my arrears on a payslip with lots and lots of overtime).

I told them again that I could not possibly afford to pay this and support myself too, again they were disinterested and insisted on taking the payments each month regardless of how much I was left with to live on. In May 2009 I got made redundant and the CSA are taking £5 of my JSA. I want to return to work, the job center are pressurising me to take a low paid job but I dont know what to do. In the job center they did a better off calculation and told me that should I take a minimum wage job I would be left with £140 per week. I then told the lady that the CSA want 40% and that the amount I would be left with would not pay my rent (£470pcm) let alone allow me to live. The lady at the job center then contacted the CSA to clarify my situation and informed her that 40% is what they would take.

This leaves me in a mess. I have the job center informing me that If i am offered a minimum wage job i have to take it or have my JSA, HB and CTB sanctioned. And if I take the job after tax, NI and CSA deduction I wont have enough to live on. The council have said I would not qualify for HB or CTB if I took a minimum wage job as they dont accept CSA as a valid deduction from my wage and the CSA are categorically refusing to budge on the arrears deduction.

All of this is causing extreme emotional stress on my as I dont know where to turn. The CAB were of no use and I was misinformed of the CSA mimimum payment by them (i went to adviceguide.org to clarify)

I dont have a relationship with my parents no more and really dont know where to turn ................

If your arrears are correct then I don't think there is a lot you can do other then negotiate with them to stretch the payments out for a longer period-this happens all the time from what I read. I'm not being critical, but can't help but wonder what is preventing you from getting the level of job that you had prior to May 2009?

Also, the CSA are wrong if they told you they must collect your arrears within 12 months, did I understand that right?

Perhaps if you can clarify a few of the points then someone much more knowledgeable then me will come along and offer some help.

786

If you have lost contact with your kids, go abroad.

Otherwise go self employed.

The wimmin will be along soon to tell you not to.

Roundabout_2

Thanks for your replies.

Im a toolmaker by trade, so the recession in the UK has hit my industry bad.

Im not on speaking terms with my ex and she doesnt allow me access to them either. Everytime its my turn to see them their ill, or something cropped up.

The repayment schedule was for a 12month period with a massively escalated deduction. One advisor I spoke to told me that access to my account was frozen and nothing could be changed.

The ex is now remarried and even before they were wed had the children calling her future husband daddy. SO with all the financial stress, the emotional stress with the children and the fact that my parents disowned me for getting divorced and now not having a viable option to return to work I can truly understand the frame of mind of the fathers who have lost their lives over this malicious organisation.

For £800 you could do an awful lot with and for your children. Even before I was divorced I never spent that much to provide, clothe and entertain the children.

Now she can move on with her life, finanically secure and im struggling to make ends meet, unemployed and depressed.

No matter which way I turn im faced with a brick wall. Im desperate to move on and return to work and see a future for myself.

786

You have a right to see your children. Go to court to get contact. If you cannot get legal aid, do it yourself. My advice would be to do it yourself even if you can get legal aid. PM if you need to.

BLT_2

I am somewhat confused by the 40% deduction. My understand was that it was 15% for the first child which then increased by 5% to a maximum of 25%, in essence according to CSA's own rules you are paying 15% more than you have to.

http://www.childsupportsolutions.co.uk/nrp-calculation.htm#nrpnewcalc

HappyMJ

BLT wrote: »

I am somewhat confused by the 40% deduction. My understand was that it was 15% for the first child which then increased by 5% to a maximum of 25%, in essence according to CSA's own rules you are paying 15% more than you have to.

http://www.childsupportsolutions.co.uk/nrp-calculation.htm#nrpnewcalc

It's the arrears they are catching up on.

OP-if you do apply for a minimum wage job and don't accept it then your JSA may be sanctioned but it will not affect your HB or CTB. The council can take CSA deductions into account (but they are not obliged to) and pay you a discretionary housing payment but then it still isn't worth taking a minimum wage job so simply stop applying for them. The JSAg just says you need to take 3 steps each week to find work those steps can be to apply for higher paid jobs it does not have to include applying for a low pay job.

You could go self employed, pay yourself a very low wage of around £475 per month plus expenses and you will have to talk to an accountant about what can be claimed through self employment.

BLT_2

786 wrote: »

You have a right to see your children. Go to court to get contact. If you cannot get legal aid, do it yourself. My advice would be to do it yourself even if you can get legal aid. PM if you need to.

Whilst I agree that the OP has the right to see his children, I suspect that in his current situation he cannot actually afford to see his children

The costs involved in an absentee parent entertaining 3 children for the day are immense. Children want entertaining when with their absent parent, they are unlikely to be keen to visit a two bedroom house for the day with no entertainment, no electronic toys etc etc.

Eventually they will find excuses for not visiting, or be surly and disagreeable at having to go to a place where they are not, in their eyes, having fun....result, more stress.

However I don't believe access is the OPs issue here, more a case of actually wanting to be able to afford to live.

786

I agree with you that there can be problems maintaining contact when money is very tight.

It is possible to entertain children for the afternoon and spend almost nothing - the park, indoor games when it is bad weather. In fact the relationship with the children can improve - throwing money at them is a mistake.

I wish the OP well.

kelloggs36

786 wrote: »

I agree with you that there can be problems maintaining contact when money is very tight.

It is possible to entertain children for the afternoon and spend almost nothing - the park, indoor games when it is bad weather. In fact the relationship with the children can improve - throwing money at them is a mistake.

I wish the OP well.

I think that the poster was referring to court costs etc in order to get a contact order in place, let alone actually entertaining them.