CSA increase payments but no wage increase

Dal_Whinnie

My son and his partner separated 5 years ago. Their 2 children initially stayed with my son but their daughter moved to live with her Mum a couple of years ago. In claiming CSA she has claimed that the children have spent holidays with her whereas they spend most of the holidays with us. She has a higher income but my son is having to pay more CSA to her than she does to him.

I clearly only hear my son's position so do not know all the facts but apparently he has now had a letter from CSA to say they are increasing his payments because wages have gone up. His wages have been frozen for two years but when he phoned the CSA to explain this he was just told that wages have gone up so he needs to pay more! It does seem that the father is always treated as the 'bad guy' but surely payments should be based on actual wages not increased arbitrarily.

Can anybody give me any ideas about getting support in challenging CSA?

UsetheFORCE

Payments are based on the ACTUAL cash value so if his wages haven't gone up then tell them, if they don't listen then write to them Recorded Delivery.

If you have the child for 52 nights a year, you get a 1/7th reduction in the CSA payment due and for every further 52 nights then anothe 1/7.

If he actually had a reduction in place, his ex by claiming she had the kids when she didn't could get the reductions decreased and so INCREASE his CSA payments.

Is he on CSA 1?

PreludeForTimeFeelers

If his calculation has gone up then it's because a reassessment has been requested by the other party. He can appeal the new assessment. They'll have contacted him to ask for income details, if he didn't respond to this then they'll go direct to his employer.
He needs to phone them and let them know that he disagrees with their calculation, and find out what time period they need payslips from. Then he needs to put his appeal in writing, and send in his evidence recorded delivery.

kevin137

It may also be an idea to request a reassessment of her and her income, if she is in a well paid job, then she may of had a pay rise as well...

But query the days and ask if there was proof, and if not why it has been granted as a reduction if indeed it has...

clearingout

Dal_Whinnie wrote: »

My son and his partner separated 5 years ago. Their 2 children initially stayed with my son but their daughter moved to live with her Mum a couple of years ago. In claiming CSA she has claimed that the children have spent holidays with her whereas they spend most of the holidays with us. She has a higher income but my son is having to pay more CSA to her than she does to him.

I clearly only hear my son's position so do not know all the facts but apparently he has now had a letter from CSA to say they are increasing his payments because wages have gone up. His wages have been frozen for two years but when he phoned the CSA to explain this he was just told that wages have gone up so he needs to pay more! It does seem that the father is always treated as the 'bad guy' but surely payments should be based on actual wages not increased arbitrarily.

Can anybody give me any ideas about getting support in challenging CSA?

CSA payments only work one way as a general rule. Are there two children and each parent is claiming child benefit for one of them, perhaps?

Cally_Smart

In my opinion the CSA do favour the word of the PWC.It is extremely hard to get your reduction for over night stays if the pwc says otherwise.(My past posts will get you up to speed on our case if interested!)We are still fighting our case nearly one year on.Being compliant..you don't have much choice otherwise with the CSA I'm afraid,and struggling to live on what we have left of our wages. (We have paid CM by Standing Order for years & have every Bank statement but pwc is being less than 'helpful' and we have found the CSA believe everything they are told by the pwc! Forgive me for sounding so negative but we have paid once why should we have to pay it all again.Still it makes the figures look good they're collecting in the money for the Government. Got our MP involved.There ends my rant for the day !!

kelloggs36

In my experience the CSA only favoured the word of the lying self employed NRP - it took a tribunal case to get them to take any notice of the evidence I had sent to them.

Cally_Smart

Yes, a tribunal is the only answer to make the CSA take notice of the real facts. They (CSA)didn't come very well prepared really think they knew they wouldn't win it !We had to ask for one to get the CSA to allow for the children in our household to be allowed off the so called arrears.Still along way to go but a step in the right direction. I've been reading up a lot recently on the law,various CSA cases on here & other sites. Based on my experience as a pwc & now (last 10 years)as a nrpp I want to tell some one from the Government how it's failing us.I think we should return to the Courts who worked things out based on the family circumstances.

Hysnbrg

I used to work for CSA, the place is a joke, they have bells to ring when they get money off people and team competitions to see who can get the most money in that week/month, its run like a debt collection centre. Just try getting in the building- will never happen, too much to hide. No-one cares about the NRPs, just their money. And half the time they'll refer to the PWCs as wenches! I used to try and reduce the NRPs payments to the 'legal' amount- I got sacked.

Witch_Hazel

Hysnbrg wrote: »

I used to work for CSA, the place is a joke, they have bells to ring when they get money off people and team competitions to see who can get the most money in that week/month, its run like a debt collection centre. Just try getting in the building- will never happen, too much to hide. No-one cares about the NRPs, just their money. And half the time they'll refer to the PWCs as wenches! I used to try and reduce the NRPs payments to the 'legal' amount- I got sacked.

Must have been a loooooooooong time ago as you claim you have been carer for the last 15 years.

Hysnbrg wrote: »

I get £90 a week because I'm a full-time carer (thats 24/7 not a measly 36hours) and therefore cannot work, Ive been getting that for about 15years and I struggle every week. .

Hysnbrg

Witch_Hazel wrote: »

Must have been a loooooooooong time ago as you claim you have been carer for the last 15 years.

No it was while I was a carer, I could upload a C.V if your that interested in my career lol I tried to juggle both for a few years, being a carer can be lonely and I wanted to work to meet people and socialize, be normal. It didn't workout as I said.

Got anything to contribute or just being nosy?