Urgent CSA advice needed.

kelloggs36

It does sound like that, but I would like to give theh OP a bit of a benefit of the doubt. Clearly, if he can prove his whereabouts and can prove if he never received any letters from the CSA, then he does not have a liability. If, however, he did receive the letters and chose to ignore them then he must pay what is owed. he knows what he needs to do. Sadly, many parents conveniently disappear when the CSA come knocking, forgetting that it is for the children that the money is required. Yes, of course the money goes to the other parent as there is no other way to ensure that the money goes where it is NEEDED. Some claim that putting money into an account for the child would be a better option - perhaps the OP put some money by for this purpose? He could pay it all to the CSA now? However, this does not help the other parent pay the day to day costs of bringing up the child/ren which is what maintenance is for (well, for private clients it is).

I don't mind helping people who genuinely need my advice and will take each case on face value, but I won't help somebody to wriggle out of their responsibilities. The OP needs to provide evidence to the CSA of his claims not to have received their letters. If, what he says is true, and he was in Germany when the MEF was issued, then he must provide some evidence of this. An address where he was living or something. If he can't then the CSA have no option but to assume that he received the letters - if he even had 1 correspondence from the CSA, then he was fully aware of their interest and cannot be surprised that they have eventually caught up with him.

ajbrynoffa

yeah thanks for your helpfulcomments buckaroo....i was in germany for 11 months out of 8 years,when things went a bit wrong for me and my (now)wife,ok so i can`t prove i was in germany..perhaps thats a little naivety on my behalf but i didn`t know what the legal responsibilities were.i`ll get on with this myself now because people like you take their moral stance and can`t believe that someone was genuinely very naive.you`re exactly what i needed when i was at a very low ebb......i won`t trouble people for their help anymore.

sarahlouise210

If you were in Germany and were not in the forces...then the CSA have no juristiction to pursue you for payment...so for the years you were abroad no payment can be enforced. For the other years..if your ex states the money she received voluntarily from you (unlikely) then you will have the amount assessed reduced by the payments you made. You really should have dealt with this properly ..at least by going through the CSA then you can have your payments traced.

ajbrynoffa

Tell me about it!! I`ve actually been in touch with the firm i worked for in Germany so hopefully I can now get a letter off them confirming that i did work for them.

kelloggs36

Good idea - are you positive you haven't got anything to help you prove your living address whilst there? Did you stay with somebody or did you rent somewhere? Either one could help by providing you with a letter.

buckaroo

Well I'm sorry if I've upset you, but I can't believe you did not know that you had responsibilities to your children. Did you naively believe that if you split up with your wife/partner then you don't need to financially support your children anymore?

I've said my piece and I won't comment again, don't let me put you off getting advice here.

ajbrynoffa

if you`d bother to read the original post instead of just jumping on half way through you`d see what i said about giving the children everything they ever needed.....hardly passing up on my resposibilities is it?

ToToTango

We have just had a letter from CSA saying we owe some money between 1993 and 2001. If the amount is not paid in 7 days they will refer to a debt collection agency. The attached sheets show various figures but are very hard to understand - they don't seem to show any of the payments made (although after we rung them they acknowledged some of the payments). Can anyone advise where to go from here. This matter has been ongoing for years (problems started when csa took over from court payments). Child is question is now 22. CSA would not negotiate repayments at all.

buckaroo

I did read your first post and I don't think it is clear from that, that you have been paying maintenance. Have you paid maintenance?

buckaroo

Sorry ToToTango, not sure what to advise. I would try and find as much evidence of the payments you have made, as possible. Hopefully, you paid through your bank and might be able to find something. If the CSA aren't willing to discuss things with you, maybe you could get some advice from your local CAB.