CSA Why won't they listen?

snook66

My husband is NRP to 4 children one of whom is 19 one will be 18 in December and a 15 and 13 year old. He has never missed a payment unless he was out of work EVER ! and on the odd occasion this has happened he has informed CSA promptly (think he has missed three payments in total) He has been away from his wife since youngest was 5 years old. Yet we get CSA chasing us for payments when his ex wife makes ridiculous claims she hasnt been paid or hubs is earning more money. When CSA last chased hubs for more money he was told he would be having his wages arrested regardless of him paying through the CSA every month as they couldnt guarantee he would carry on with direct debit payments... Then they sent him a letter telling him he owed over £10k in back payments as they had no record of him paying ...this caused no end of stress for us and luckily we had every statement to prove this was the case but hubs ex-wife was asked had she received anything from him and she said no of course so they chased him and arrested his salary ... Eventually after three months of arguing and hubs nearly losing his job he was given a deadline to give all the proof to CSA which he faxed to them and they admitted they hadnt done their job properly .. His ex admitted she had received all payments after being threatened with court action. Here we go again ... we have now received another letter requesting details of hubs salary so that his monthly payments can be amended ..we have no issues with that but know that ex wife will claim that 18 year old is still at college when we know for definate he isnt at all ... we have tried to inform CSA of this but all falls on deaf ears and we have to pay for someone who is living in a caravan in ex wife's garden and he gets the money ...where on earth is the justice in that ?? please someone tell us as CSA don't want to know so hubs pays out money for an adult who should be paying his own way ...

bdt1

Ok 1st things 1st.................if 18 year old isn't at college or in qualifying education, then the question needs to be asked is the PWC receiving Child Benefit for this child? If you know what the child is doing, then if your hubs has shared Parental Responsibility (were they married/was he on birth cert as father etc), you can ask for a college to provide attendance records/enrolment etc.

If you suspect the child is working or not in qualifying education then ask CSA for a benefit check on the PWC. They will look into what she is receiving and if Child Benefit no longer paid to her, then you will not be liable for child support.

If PWC is claiming Child Benefit/Child tax Credits yet you suspect the child is not studying in qualifying education, then you could report her to CTC, Child Benefit Office as this is fraud, but you will need lots of proof for CSA to be convinced, as they usually take word of PWC unless she isn't receiving Child Benefit

snook66

Firstly, thanks for your positive response it gives us both something to follow up on... my only worry would be that hubs ex is happy to evade the truth if it means she gets more money from the system. She now claims to be self employed so will be in receipt of some benefits but I am certain she will be saying the 18 year old is still attending college and as the children do not want any contact with their father due to ex wife telling them their father has never paid a penny for their upkeep. We have tried before asking CSA to check on child benefit for two elder children twice before with no response apart from they will investigate and it can take months ... we are still waiting for the outcome of this 'investigation' yet when hubs calls them they have no record of this request ..it's soul destroying when NRP who want to do their best and pay the right money yet feel the CSA are only taking into consderation the PWC claims.. I am interested to learn that hubs can contact the college to check if 18 year old has/not attended college in last year as if that is the case then he has been overpaying ?? Its also very difficult as we are aware that under data protection act that information cant just be given out willy nilly so unless we can get the information we just have to pay ... I feel so sorry for NRP's who pay for their children and still get the mucky end of the stick .. I should know my hub's is one ... no recourse for doing the right thing I will look into checking for benefit fraud though so that's a help thanks ..any more options greatly received