CSA..child benefit...somethings wrong :(

Spursyid

Hello,

First off, i'd like to say that i am happy, hard working, albeit for a relatively low wage, however it is better than the unemployed option!

I have an attachment of earnings order from the CSA which includes payments for both of my children, and also a percentage of arrears, my arrears were accumulated after what i consider to be an unfair assessment a couple of years ago when i was working as a self employed motorcycle courier, some weeks, i barely earned enough to pay my rent and eat but thats a whole other story and thankfully am not in that position anymore.

I have no problem at all with the CSA taking the rightful amount of money from my salary, to pay towards the upkeep of my children, it is considerably less than i was paying my ex wife when i was in a good job with a good salary and it was a private arrangement. My kiddies are my world and i have no problem at all with paying money to them, they are my responsibilty(along with thier mother's)

The problem i am having is one of my children, is no longer in full time education, yet my ex wife is still claiming child benefit, this child benefit order is said to run up until next year.

I have spoken to my daughters last known education establishment and they confirmed to me she left officially in May of last year. I gave this information to the CSA, numerous times, but all they have said is that all the time my ex is claiming child benefit, i am still liable to pay child maintenance. there is no investigation whatsoever, I have tried to ask my ex to notify child benefit of the change of circumstances but she refuses. magically, my daughter started in '6th form' when i began to make louder noises in September of last year, i have since found out that she went to '6th form' for a total of two days. Again, my ex is still claiming that my daughter is in full time education.

forward another 3 months, and the AEO kicks in and my wages take quite a massive hit, again, i'm not complaining at all about paying off the arrears (which amount to around £1300) i still have £183.00 take home pay after thr CSA attachment is paid to pay rent, eat, pay bills with, it is tight, (i rent in a houseshare to reduce living costs)

In January of this year, i again contacted the CSA and made the point that my daughter was no longer in full time education, that she finished school in May (after exams) her official leaving date given to me by her school was july 29th, and that i really would like my claim to be re-assessed as i felt i was paying child maintenance unjustly. they phoned my ex, who informed them that 'magically' my daughter was starting a college course on Monday(they contacted her on a thursday) and therefore was in 'full time education' they phoned me an hour later and saidf they had spoken with my ex and that my daughter was indeed in full time education. that's it, done, the lengths i have gone to, to try and get information regarding my daughter, attendance records etc mean nothing, they call my ex who tells them my daughter is 'at college' and i am still liable.

Today, i am at the end of my tether, i actually spoke to my daughter about all of this today and she confirmed everything i already knew, she started her college course in January, and decided she didn't like it and left in March of this year, but according to the CSA, my ex is claiming child benefit, therefore she is in full time education!!!!

I have now contacted child benefit to look into this matter, i only hope they act on the information i have provided, as the CSA it seems, do not!

I would particularly like any advice from others in a similar situation, or indeed anyone who works for child benefit or the CSA to advise me on what i can do further

thanks all and sorry for the long drawn out post

kelloggs36

You have now done the right thing by contacting Child Benefit as they are the ones who can change things. The CSA don't have investigatory powers as a rule (only certain sections and only if there is a strong enough case to investigate), so the only way to get it sorted is to get child benefit removed - then the CSA case will have to close.

bdt1

We are in the same boat, child is not studying but mother saying she is.

We have just sent off an appeal of the maintenance assessment, and one of our appeal points was that the child has not been in qualifying full-time education since September last year. If CSA appeals do not look further into this, and change the maintenance assessment (i.e discontinue my CSA liabilty) then I will be in a position to appeal the appeals decision, and then it will proceed to Tribunal - who will investigate it more thoroughly, and ask the mother for proof. As well as being able to present our own

Kimitatsu

If she is in the sixth form though, then as a parent with parental rights you have the right to ask for her attendance records.

The school should send them to you and then you can prove your case to the CSA - actually CB is not a qualifying benefit for the purposes of CM, just the CSA chooses to take it as that.