CSA Advise

Tinkerbell_Lily

Hi all

Just want abit of a heads up really, I'm ringing the CSA tomorrow but just wanted to see what others said. Me & my ex have 2 children, he see's them & has them overnight once a fortnight (as apparently he needs a life!!!) :mad: when we split he moved 20 miles away & he's now saying that he called CSA & they told him because he lives that far away it reduces my maintenance (even though he gets his petrol paid for by work) Also the girl he left me for has got a daughter & their now living together so will that reduce it too?

Thanks for any help
xx

kevin137

Doesn't matter where he lives... Unless there is BIG mileage then he won't get a reduction, he also won't get a reduction for overnight as it is done in 7th's so 52 nights a year would get a 1/7th 2 nights a week 2/7ths etc.

He will however get a reduction of 15% on his assessment, so his income for 1 child in new house and 2 with you would be 20% of 85% of his income....

Hope that makes sense...

Tinkerbell_Lily

lol yeah kinda!

So when he said he has to reduce it as it'd be a 40 mile round trip to pick them up & drop them off, he was lying?

Thank you for your help
xx

kevin137

Yes he was lying, it could be 200 miles and he would not get a reduction....!!!

Tinkerbell_Lily

I knew it! lol Thank you so much, you've made my night :T

McKneff

He may just have been mistaken, you loved him once, enough to marry him and have a child with him, is it not worth giving him the benefit of the doubt, we all make them.

Tinkerbell_Lily

I did give him the benefit at first, it wasn't until 6 months after he left that I found out he'd started having an affair one month after I'd had our son!

If he'd of said I've just spoken to CSA and this is what they've said, then fair enough, but he didn't, he rang and said 'just spoken to CSA and they've told me to reduce how much I pay you because it costs me money to get the children & I have to pay to feed them when their at my house'!!!!

DUTR

Tinkerbell_Lily wrote: »

I did give him the benefit at first, it wasn't until 6 months after he left that I found out he'd started having an affair one month after I'd had our son!

If he'd of said I've just spoken to CSA and this is what they've said, then fair enough, but he didn't, he rang and said 'just spoken to CSA and they've told me to reduce how much I pay you because it costs me money to get the children & I have to pay to feed them when their at my house'!!!!

I think in the grand scheme of things, the parent collects the child, and the other collects at the end of the visit.
After a 6 year absence, my daughter's Mum is back in touch, we have been chatting, but it has soon become apparent to her that the CSA was not the wisest choice, however every circumstance is different.

wayne0

kevin137 wrote: »

Yes he was lying, it could be 200 miles and he would not get a reduction....!!!

perhaps not lying....

Just "mis informed"...

the CSA's online proceedures state that they allow approximately 10p per mile.

£15 is disregarded if the nrp has income over 200/week.
£10 if less than £100 (what about 100-200?????)

I myself have got a variation of 210 miles.
the CSA allowed £6.26 in costs... (which im still disputing) which obviously, has no effect on calculation for assesment, due to £15 limit.

if he lives 20 miles away then his contact travel would infact be based on 80 miles: to collect his children = 20 miles to you, and 20 miles home, and to take his kids home, the same.

if this is once a fortnight: then divide that by two. so 40 miles/week.
40*10p = £4 (maximum).

HOWEVER: Even if he drives... all he needs to do is get the train/public transport ONCE, and provide reciepts.
Train ticket = £15 twice.. plus bus ticket = £5 return, twice! (add travel for kids also...)
could quickly rack up the contact costs here....

If your willing to abuse the system its is rather too easy to do so... Sadly, those NRP's who dont believe/wish to do this dont...

but bear in mind: if he gets £6 of contact costs... this does not come from your maintenance


his income is 210 / week. this will be reduced by £6 week, therefore assessed income will be £204/week.

This reduction is done FIRST, before child reduction is done...

Lets base this on some figures:

210 wage: normally payable: 15% = £31.50 (rounded to £) 32 assessed payment.
210 wage, with 6 costs, = 204: = 15% = 30.60 (rounded) 31.

now this is where big reductions happen: children

one child = 15%, two =20, three or more: 25%.

so were at 204 after the 6 costs...
so 15% of 204 is 30.60.... so 204 - 30.60 (not rounded) = 173.40.

you will be paid (the rounded figure to neared £ of) X% of 173.40 (the net income is not rounded...)
so 173.40 * 15% = 26.01

under the current (CS2) system, you need 52 nights shared care for a reduction. you can only get a reduction for shared care or a variation...

under the 2012 scheme,... if there is a dispute on the number of nights, 52 nights will be presumed. (so a 1/7th reduction) - so those of us NRp's who get the current min for fear of PWC loosing CSA, might actually get MORE time with their kids.

hope that helps you some with your query...

wayne0

DUTR wrote: »

I think in the grand scheme of things, the parent collects the child, and the other collects at the end of the visit.

ive done all the driving for my son...
PWC wouldnt do anything to help me have contact... (NOT ALL PWC ARE LIKE THIS I UNDERSTAND, but plenty are.)

but 50/50 travel would only be fair, it doesnt matter why a relationship breaks down etc...

CSA payments are for the child... (AS ALL PWC's SAY ON HERE).

@OP.

I agree with Mckneff... the NRP could well of been told by CSA that they are reassessing etc...

the CSA outright lie to people.

I have a call recording from friday, where the CSA person told me outright :
CSA: "Income support isnt considered as a prescribed benefit"..
me: "yes it is... therefore my assesment for period x-x should be the £5 flat rate. i informed you on xxx/xx/xx"
csa: "i know the law relating to this...."
me: "well, i believe you should actually pull up a copy of legislation then, and look at the regulations again... the VERY FIRST benefit listed is Income support.."
csa: quiet... for some time
me: "hello... are you there?...."
her: "im looking at the legislation now... im not aware of any change in legislation..."
....
her: "no sir, your mistaken. income support is considered as assesable income, and is not a prescribed benefit"
me: "right, ... one moment...
(proceed to quote word for word the legislation... which i handily have a copy of in my paperwork for CSA)
her: "im going to have to.... (hangs up)"

call recorded by me... copy sent to MP...

CSA do try and screw over a NRP.

if a NRP is in debt they can go for a DEO. one of their prefered methods of collection.

they dont like a NRP to control any aspect of payments.

there are three methods of collection which are prefered by the CSA:

DEO (where they can take up to 40% of your income)
Direct Debit (where they choose what they take from your bank, when they wish to take it - although payments are essentially covered by the direct debit guarentee... if a NRP recalls one, they can go for a DEO.
Maintenance Direct (which they advise most PWC's to avoid... as they are on their own...)

I refuse to pay by any of the above methods (Maintenance direct included now as PWC has stated more than once i have not paid her - despite CSA accepting that a payment for the said amount of CSA payments, and marked as CSA payment must resemble a payment of CSA therefore its been accepted by them now)

I will call up and pay over the telephone, and request a receipt for my card payment.

kevin137

wayne0 wrote: »

perhaps not lying....

Just "mis informed"...

No he is lying...

He said he had just phoned the CSA and been informed he is overpaying because of transport costs...

They would never say that... They may say they can recalculate, but would also state that on the mileage given it is going to be very unlikely...!