How far back can the CSA collect arrears? _UPDATE

timbo58

Not sure if they are still around, but I had some really useful advice from 'families need fathers' when I had those vultures harassing me 10 years+ back.

1. Was (as others said) NEVER allow them to phone you or they'll never leave you alone: letters only.
2. Never send them any official documentation -if you have to send anything get your local DWP to photostat them and hand them back to you, that way you keep the documents they don't get lost by the csa and they pay the postage.

kazzah60

clearingout wrote: »

how do you arrive at the £20 per month figure? There are usually more than 4 weeks in a month - 52 weeks in a year is 13 four week months, not 12. Sorry to pick - but you need to be sure of your own figures or you'll get nowhere.

well obviously I do know that - I was generalising - so it will be nearer £400

but it is still no where near £8k.....

Sensemaya

kazzah60 wrote: »

well had the direct debit form through today
we sent a very scathing letter asking them for a breakdown of how the arrears had occurred

since Friday when they called us, and Saturday when we received a letter confirming the payment - the arrears have risen by 31p !!!!!!!
it was £8010.10 and today it is £8010.41

if some of the information I have read is correct then I believe hubby was only liable for £5 per week to be deducted from his incapacity benefit then we have calculated the arrears to be

19 months at £20 per month = £380
which is quite a lot different to £8010.41

I am still aghast that they can send a DD form without ANY breakdown of how the arrears have been calculated this is how they work- I dread to think how many people have been driven to dispair over the incompetence of the CSA

I can't WAIT for a response to my letter........................

If you don't go through your MP you won't receive a reply.

Please see your MP - you can even pop into the office to leave your letter with them and book an appointment to see the MP at the same time. The assistant can then phone them via the hotline and start the ball rolling.

I wouldn't be filling in any DD forms at the moment.

I received so many account breakdowns with different figures on sometimes a day apart. Unbelievable if you hadn't seen them with your own eyes.

kazzah60

thanks Sensemaya
I have NO intention of allowing dh to complete a DD form until we have agreed on the amount of arrears due

I have written a letter of complaint outlining WHY we will not be completing a DD form yet- and put in BOLD CAPITALS that we are NOT refusing to pay - we will pay the amount we owe- but we are disputing the amount they are seeking- especially as from 1995-1999 when they are seeking money for the child in question was not in full time education -and was in fact serving with the British forces!

I will make an appointment to see our MP also - thanks again

Cally_Smart

We are struggling to pay,cut out anything we could focusing on rent ,council tax,services & food( economising where we could -cutting hair for the boys & myself)Sold my car -I had one when I was a single parent.All because my husband wanted to avoid a DEO,understandably didn't want the stigma at work.Luckily all our friends know that my husband has always paid the pwc & what we did for them but you're a bit less well known at work &people may judge based on the presumptions of the CSA.(Embarassing enough to be rung when at work if in an open plan office -asked to have it all in writing/ letters now!)I think he should have held out till it was sorted out but CSA wont listen to us (only the pwc )& would have gone for a deo anyway wouldn't they.

kazzah60

Just thought I would update this thread and HOPEFULLY be able to offer some hope to others in a similar situation

after FINALLY receiving all the "calculations" the CSA used to arrive at the figure of £8010.10 arrears
we quickly queried and complained about the amount and it has now been reduced to £450.99 - quite a difference

NO apology from the CSA- who insist their calculations were correct at the time they called DH ( RUBBISH - the lad was 20 and they were STILL trying to claim maintnenance for him) - but now they have "examined" the information they already held on our case they ahve "adjusted" the amount

I suppose that is as near to an admission of a !!!! up as they will give

I am taking great delight in paying the £450 back over the two year period they insisted the amount needed to be re-paid in

well they started it !!!!!!! :rotfl::T

kevin137

I would NOT play that game, get it paid as a matter of course, by debit card over the phone, whilst recording the conversation and clarifying the case is now paid in FULL and will be closed immediately...!!!

Then you will have proof in the for of a recording and can tell them to go to hell if they come back again...!!!

Cally_Smart

Absolutely incredible they could have duped you for that much if you hadn't persisted in the account breakdown! Well done for sticking with it ..I don't think they give you much choice to do otherwise though ..its infuriating the amount of power they have then turn out to be wrong all along.If the pwc was claiming Ch/benefit they would have insisted it was owed to them up until 19 even if she was claiming fraudulently!!
Do what Kevin says- pay up ,then it's done & dusted,record phone call-don't leave it to them or they will 'lose 'it when you ask for it!!!(as per your Data protection files) ,case closed & they can't come back when the 2 years is nearly up. Honestly ,I wouldn't put it past them.
Still waiting for our happy ending : (

PreludeForTimeFeelers

It sounds as though the first figure was based on the information they had at that point - you have then gave them further information about the child's circumstances plus the fact the NRP was on benefit at the time, which allowed them to change the calculation. It's not so much that the assessment was incorrect, more just that they didn't have the full information.

kazzah60

PreludeForTimeFeelers wrote: »

It sounds as though the first figure was based on the information they had at that point - you have then have them further information about the child's circumstances plus the fact the NRP was on benefit at the time, which allowed them to change the calculation. It's not so much that the assessment was incorrect, more just that they didn't have the full information.

Actually they had ALL the relevent information - including the childs date of birth - which if they could count would have shown them that they were incorrect as my husbands liabilit to pay ended when the child was 19 or left full time education
the dates they gave included the child being 20 years of age

PLUS they had previously been told in 1998 that the child was in the army and not in full time education - they were at fault for assuming the liability was from when the CSA took the case over from the court system in 1993 until they closed it in 1999 when the child was 20

My husband never had any ongoing relationship with the childs mother, unfortunately she had mental health issues which became worse after the child was born and he was raised by his grandparents - his mother never informed the CSA when he left full time education and this is why the claim was deemed to be ongoing.

We could not provide ANY proof of when the child left school and it was only through a distant neighbour we discovered he was in the army, and my husbands liability should have ended
all of which WE told the CSA in the 1990's

up until the CSA were involved my husband had paid maintenance via the court system with it being deducted from his wages at source so that his responsibility was met.

once again the CSA are chasing the "easy" targets - parents who have previously paid, rather than the absent ones who are using every excuse in the book to avoid their responsibility