Question about what counts as NRP earnings

mrsspendalot

Hi all

Well it's been 6 months since I last had a penny towards my 2 boys. Ex OH job-hopped just as they caught up with him and slapped a DEO on him. I had an assessment at the time of £24 a week, plus arrears.

I rang CSA on 19th July to tell them about his new job which started on 12th July, in case he didn't, and I haven't heard anything since. I sent a recorded delivery letter asking for an update and asking about a reassessment based on commission and new earnings on 10th August. No reply.

I spoke to ex OH today as he picked the boys up for contact and he assures me he has made arrangements to pay, and that he has been reassessed on his new wage, and will now pay £25 a week, plus arrears. His new job is made up of a basic salary plus commission (car sales). He has told me that they have said they only want his basic salary as commission doesn't count as it's not guaranteed income. I am fairly sure I have read otherwise though and that it should be counted, along with bonuses or overtime payments.

Before I ring them up and query this, can someone confirm whether this is in fact the case? I don't want to ring up all guns blazing to find out I'm in the wrong!

Also, will they have automatically reassessed when he changed jobs due to having a DEO in place on his last job? If he had a DEO last job, will he automatically get another one on this job or will they give him the chance to make the payments himself now?

Thanks

gratefulforhelp_2

He will only be put back on a DEO if you push for it (remind them of any history he has of non compliance).

I don't know about commission but bonuses should count, though you have to time it so they get the payslip when the bonus is paid, IME.

For the future, next time he job hops, they can do a tax trace on him.

mrsspendalot

gratefulforhelp wrote: »

He will only be put back on a DEO if you push for it (remind them of any history he has of non compliance).

I don't know about commission but bonuses should count, though you have to time it so they get the payslip when the bonus is paid, IME.

For the future, next time he job hops, they can do a tax trace on him.

Well he has not complied at all up to now since the case was opened, and I don't even know whether to believe him when he says he has spoken to them as he is such a liar!

When he first started working they said that a tax trace can take months because it takes ages for the inland revenue to update their files. They were suggesting to start with they would have to close my case if they couldn't trace him, but luckily I did some detective work and found out who he was working for, and that is how they got the DEO in place.

I wouldn't really know when he would get commission paid and he's hardly likely to be honest with me about it, but surely they would demand payslips from him as proof of earnings? Any commission would show up on them? He told the kids he had sold 7 cars already, so I would imagine he would have already had some commission through.

gratefulforhelp_2

A tax trace doesn't take ages if you complain enough. They aren't exactly dynamic about bonuses, but it can be a big proportion of salary so I can see why you want it assessed, keep on at them is my best suggestion.

kellogg might tell us what the form is with bonuses, and how to get them included.

Only you can decide whether to believe him, but I no longer believe anything XH says as the lies were getting so far fetched...

mrsspendalot

gratefulforhelp wrote: »

A tax trace doesn't take ages if you complain enough. They aren't exactly dynamic about bonuses, but it can be a big proportion of salary so I can see why you want it assessed, keep on at them is my best suggestion.

kellogg might tell us what the form is with bonuses, and how to get them included.

Only you can decide whether to believe him, but I no longer believe anything XH says as the lies were getting so far fetched...

I just want a proper, accurate, fair assessment based on what he is actually earning - and if he is earning commission, then he is earning commission and I cannot see why it should/could be ignored by CSA. It's not a job where the commission is only likely to be a once a year thing, it's an in-built part of the remuneration package for that type of job which is why the basic salaries tend to be so low. Please Kelloggs, if you have any advice on getting commission included in an assessment, I would be very grateful.

Oh, his stories are pretty far fetched too, and until I have confirmation from the CSA that he has actually sorted it out, and until the money hits my account, I will remain sceptical.

I just feel very disappointed that he has managed to avoid his responsibilities for so long, when we used to have such an amicable private arrangement. I don't think he sees that it is only hurting the boys in the long run, as it is they who miss out. I'm certainly not expecting any money until the end of the year at this rate, and I will certainly never rely on the money getting to me each month. It will just have to be an added bonus as and when it turns up.

mrsspendalot

Well, I had a call from CSA yesterday advising me that they certainly will be counting commission in the assessment. It seems as usual I only got a half truth of ex OH. Basically, he has been in touch with them (finally!) and made arrangements to pay. They said he has set up a direct debit and they will give him the chance of paying this way, and if he doesn't make the payment they will go straight for DEO again. They said that the amount he has currently got arrangements to pay is the old assessment because they had to write to his employer for details of his current earnings - and that has only just been received back. I should expect an assessment through in the next few days with the new figures. She said that the form they send employers asks for a full breakdown of wages, including any bonuses & commission. She said if I was unhappy with the amount it said he was earning, and it didn't sound right, I should ring back. So, I guess I'll have to wait and see what the assessed amount comes back at. His last one was a minimum wage job and he said this was better paid, so even on his basic it should be more than the current assessment - I will have to use that as the guide. I guess after that I'll just have to keep asking for regular reassessments because of the potential for huge variations in his wages due to commission until the new scheme kicks in and takes it on previous tax year earnings.

He has just been off work sick for a couple of weeks too - and I am wondering whether this will artificially reduce his earnings for the period they are enquiring about, as he would probably have only been on SSP with it being a new job, and it wouldn't be representative of what he would normally be earning.

Anyway, at least there is some progress being made and there is the possibility of having some maintenance payments at long last. I really feel for those who have been waiting years .... 6 months has been hard enough!

gratefulforhelp_2

Well done, you didn't let them grind you down for the sake of your offspring. Bravo :T:T:T