Child Support USEFUL LINKS

techmax76

The posted links are great. It is very useful. I'm saving them for my friend who are in need of this support.

Kimitatsu

Thanks to Chall1964 for this information

Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
Office of the Commissioner
PO Box 61791
London
SW1P 9NT

they will also accept email requests

[EMAIL="foi.focalpoint@childmaintenance.gsi.gov.uk"]foi.focalpoint@childmaintenance.gsi.gov.uk[/EMAIL]

They must provide a response within 20 days

Sensemaya

Managed to find Financial Redress for Maladminstration on the Northern Ireland Govt website.:T:T:T:beer:

It's certainly not as easy to navigate as the other link our govt removed, but at least the info is there.

I suggest people d/load this file, so it's saved on their computer. One never knows how long it will be available on the web.

http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/publications/other_reports/finance.htm

Forgot to mention. Please don't worry that this is on the NI site. It is still applicable to England and Wales.

UPDATE: Think I've found it.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/specialist-guides/

Scroll down to "Other specialist publications" .

It is now entitled Financial Redress for Injustice Resulting from Maladminstation. It is dated November 2009.

Sensemaya

Thanks to MrMcG for this idea. Use the international phone nos provided in the link for existing cases:

I also suggest you ignore all automated questions and eventually you should be able to speak with a human being. They always ask you the same security questions either way.

Here's hoping the link to the CSA website stays!

http://www.csa.gov.uk/en/contact/

Sensemaya

Many thanks to John again.

http://www.familylore.co.uk/2010/03/cmec-v-beesley-cmec-not-bound-by-iva.html

Can entering into an Individual Voluntary Arrangement ('IVA') reduce the liability of the non-resident parent ('NRP') for child maintenance? That was essentially the question in Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission v Beesley & Anor [2010] EWHC 485 (Ch), decided this week.

The facts were that the NRP owed some £25,000 in arrears of child maintenance. On the 11th March 2009 an IVA was approved by his creditors, under which they would receive a total of £0.27p in the pound over a period of 5 years, in full and final settlement of his liabilities. At that date, the arrears of child maintenance represented 94% of his debts. The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission ('CMEC') were aware of the proposed arrangement, but did not attend the meeting at which it was approved because it contended that child maintenance is not a debt which can be included within an IVA. Had CMEC attended and voted, it would have been able to defeat the approval of the IVA, assuming that it was entitled to vote.

The NRP contended that CMEC was bound by the terms of the IVA. Obviously, CMEC were concerned by this, as if they were bound then it would provide a relatively easy means by which an NRP in arrears could evade his or her liability to pay all the arrears that had accrued. CMEC therefore claimed that it is not a creditor for the purposes of an IVA or, if it was, it sought an order pursuant to s.262 Insolvency Act 1986 revoking the approval given to the NRP's proposal, on the ground that the terms of this particular IVA were unfairly prejudicial to CMEC.

His Honour Judge Pelling QC found that CMEC was to be regarded as a creditor for the purposes of the IVA. However, he went on to find that CMEC had been unfairly prejudiced by the approval of the IVA because it had been deprived of its right to collect or enforce the arrears in full, irrespective of whether the NRP was made bankrupt. Accordingly, the s.262 application succeeded, and an order was made revoking of the approval of the proposal given at the creditors meeting held on 11th March 2009.

And what of the parent with care ('PWC') and the child or children? Well, they do get a mention in relation to any shortfall between the amount owed and the amount that is actually recovered: "To the extent that the sum outstanding exceeds the amount of relevant benefits received by the PWC in this case that is a prejudice in respect of which the real loser is the PWC and the child or children for whose ultimate benefit the child maintenance calculation had been made." Quite.

Walsallwizard

Sensemaya wrote: »

When dealing with the CRO - Complaints Resolution officer - always take their name and direct phone number. It should be a geographical number - not an 0845.

I have just been told that I am not allowed to have a phone number to make a complaint unless I have already complined in writing. I explained I wanted the number to get the address so the complaint goes to the right person or department. I was still told that I could not have the number for this. I asked for the individuals name and they hung up....:mad:

Sensemaya

Walsallwizard wrote: »

I have just been told that I am not allowed to have a phone number to make a complaint unless I have already complined in writing. I explained I wanted the number to get the address so the complaint goes to the right person or department. I was still told that I could not have the number for this. I asked for the individuals name and they hung up....:mad:

I haven't updated this information in ages. I must admit it is harder getting this information out of the CSA.

However back to the old chestnut of using your MP.

Having been in a meeting at my MP's constituency office a few months ago with 3 members of senior staff I was told that I had to phone the 0845 number, bypass plugging in my NI and wait to be connected to speak to one of the 3 ( Macbeth is ringing a bell with me :rotfl:) by staff manning the National Helpline ( what a joke they are).


I tried it once giving the person's name. No go. I was not prepared to go through all the security questions first. Obviously I was prepared to do that once I had been put through to the person I wanted to speak to.

Funnily enough, after requesting a summary of the meeting, a direct geographical number was supplied to my MP......which I have used.

Something else to tell your MP?

SteveTurtle

I found this thread very useful and found many links.

mumtofivekids

yes thankyou, i have found a few things useful..
i am going thru the csa, as my babys father had a nil assessment, even tho he is a CEO, a company director and a partner of a building company, but still the csa assessment came back that he earnt less than £5 a week, so therefor doesnt have to pay anything...i am trying to find a way of getting the info together to be able to put forward a variation, but i am getting no where...:-(

nidalhajaj

Turn2us(turn2us.org.uk)

is an important link that was missed on the long list at the start of this thread.

They have a grants search (turn2us.org.uk/grants_search.aspx)

and a benefit calculator (turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx)

and a lot of other useful information around benefits and grants.