Sales Jobs and the CSA

Spencer1980

I have been in sales for most of my working life and recently looked at getting another career so I can simply understand where I will be with my payments to the CSA. In my last job I spent a quarter of my working week explaining to the CSA why it might hurt my new family if they took from my wages a pre arranged amount of money based on a previous months performance. Doing this could leave my new family in serious debt in one month. I have already lost one job with the stress of this and I am about to start another one. My ex wife has my son and a son to someone else, I'm not bitter, but when I hand over htree hundred pound a month and her previous ex gives her his one twenty I cant imagine this is split between the kids in the sames way. the surplus will no doubt go on her hair an nails and a new pair of 7 jeans from selfridges etc!

My new partner who has just given birth to our five day old boy worries about this also. She also has an ex who she shares a child with and although they dont see eye to eye it seems she copes with his payment of 132 pounds per month and makes do.

I have already handed over the house to my ex so my children had somewhere to live, which she now rents out and has moved a further forty miles away, gone through bankruptcy because of all the debt she accumulated on my credit cards and handed the keys back, for my car and hers which I also payed for and have nothing now, but I'm happy with my new partner.

Until two weeks ago I had not seen my child for over nine months until I wrote a letter after leaving many msgs on my ex's work phone as she decided to cut her mobile off, stating I was going to keep a copy and show it to our son when he was an adult and he would understand that I had asked to see him and she had refused. she soon realised I was holding the aces at this point and came to her senses. I now get to see my child once a week for an hour in a mediation centre, although it is her that is the nutcase.....

It seems that many people get to use the CSA and other agencies to their advantage making peoples lives difficult purposefully. My ex knew I could not afford a solicitor with a new baby on the way so deliberately demanded I get one to see my child. telling the police i harrassed her when i didnt so i couldnt visit or see my child without involving the police first. This was due to her finding out about my new partner!!!!! how resentful can one get???

So, I look forward to starting my new job shortly but any advice on how to deal with the csa with a job you earn commission in would be helpful.

Thanks for reading.

Spence

kelloggs36

Unfortunately it is not possible as they would have to reassess every month and that is just not feasible - they take an average of either 2 months, or 5 weekly payslips and that is the best they can do .

gratefulforhelp_2

And how damaging it would be to your original family to not know what was due each month.

sarflee

gratefulforhelp wrote: »

And how damaging it would be to your original family to not know what was due each month.

I'm assuming that, as the OP states he has been in sales most of his working life, the 'original' family never knew month to month what they had coming in!!! And obviously his new family are living like this now, gosh there must be so many 'damaged' families out there.

I think what is more damaging is the emphasis that is put on money being a factor of whether a family is damaged or not!!!

Back to the OP, could you not ask for a reassessment during the periods when your income is lower, this would then even out the times you pay higher amounts? Congratulations on the birth of your child.

kelloggs36

I wonder then how many times they would request a change of circumstances when the income is higher????

sarflee

kelloggs36 wrote: »

I wonder then how many times they would request a change of circumstances when the income is higher????

That could be said for every NRP not just commission based income one's. As far as I am aware, either side can request a review at any time, with a legitimate reason, but will only be changed it a varies by a certain amount or percentage.

Also, wage slips usually show an earnings to date figure, could you not ask them to take this into consideration. I personally think the previous years P60 is a better way to calculate. No need to keep asking NRP's for info, fairer to both sides and less likely to be fiddled.

shell_542

Problem being last years P60 isn't a representation of how much someone is earning a year later, especially if paid hourly or changed jobs/had hours cut.

kwaks

Sounds like you have had a dificult time of it OP, glad things are looking up.

Have you considered approaching your employer? ask them to smooth out the peaks and troughs due to commission? If they could pay you out the average commission you recieve on a monthly basis and any excess they hold onto to make up the shortfall in the leaner months?