Help, CSA messed up again and I need to complain

pretzelnut

I was getting a private payment from my ex for 6 years till January, he never missed a payment in all that time, then he remarried and in February it stopped. I didn't get a payment in march.
He kept telling me he'd pay so I put off sorting out the CSA. I eventually contacted the CSA at the beginning of April.

As I made my new claim. Which was an old claim as he had paid through the CSA previously in 2003. They took over an hour to get all the details. The guy on the phone told me that as I had provided him with a mobile number for my sons NRP he would be called that evening to get all his info, and this should all be sorted in 8-12 weeks.

At the beginning of the call I mentioned I was I'll and have a condition where my mind drifts and I can get half way through a sentence and for get the question asked or forget what I was saying, hence why it took so long as I have to repeat things.

I then rang every week for an update as I know how crap the CSA can be.

I then received an email from the NRP stating that he had sent all the paperwork to the CSA, so I rang them to ask if they had received it, to be told that YES they had received it. This was all done in 4 weeks, wow I thought, that's fast considering I was quoted 8 - 12 weeks.

So I then continued to ring every week, awaiting an assessment. To be told there were 1000s of people in the queue. I got a bit annoyed asking why there was a hold up when they had all the info. 6 weeks these calls went on for. Being passed between Belfast and falkirk. If I rang one office I was passed to the other and vice versa. It's been super stressful. I wasn't transferred I was told to hang up and ring the other office, having to do all the security things again.

NOONE could do anything always telling me they couldn't access anything and a case worker was unavailable. I have had NO paperwork, no case worker appointed, nothing. I keep raising my concerns every time I phoned, sometimes I hung up, immediately rang back and got a completely different story from the next person I spoke too. I was always promised that someone would call me back, NO one ever did, hence me ringing them all the time.

Anyway on Wednesday someone on the phone finally rung me back and said "YOUR CASE DOESN'T EXIST"

I said "I don't believe it this is why I ring every week, you did this to me before and I was ringing to make sure it never happened again"

The guy on the phone then said "I'm trying to help you here and I'm not having you speak to me like that" and hung up. I wasn't rude, I didn't swear.

It took me a day to calm down and get my head around it. I rang back and spoke to a lovely lady who finally answered my questions as best as she could. She understood my frustrations.

Basically I opened my case and that was it. It had just sat there for 12 weeks. NO one had done anything. She actually opened my file and the NRP side of the case and found this information. I was fuming but it wasn't her fault as she was for the 1st time in 12 weeks the only one who had given me any information.

She mentioned lots of things about sending urgent emails and stuff but I was too shocked at their incompetence to take anymore in, so I said thanks and hung up. The next day I rang back. I was told that my case worker was dealing with it and was now on holiday and would deal with it when he was back. I asked for a name and direct number but was refused. I asked to speak to someone in charge and was put on hold for a few minutes to then be told the same. My case worker will be in touch in due course. Again being told it was with a different office, then being told it wasn't and so on and so on.

I'm fuming as the past 12 weeks has been financial hell for me. I lost my job, had to claim benefits, have almost been evicted as I was unable to pay rent and housing benefit were dragging their feet.

I suffer with a few conditions and I'm supposed to avoid all stress to avoid flare ups.

I'm more annoyed because this happened to me back in 2008 with my DDs NRP. The CSA told me they were so busy it would take 6 months, so I rang after 6 months to be told my DDs case didn't exist. So i had to go throu it all again, meaning my DD lost 10 months maintainence. As DDs NRP is on the scheme where maintainence isnt paid until the day they contact the NRP. He ignored them so they ended up getting an AOEO. So I know in 5 years they haven't learnt a thing. I don't know why I'm surprised.

This time I have done everything for them. I gave them every detail, they had everything they needed they didn't have to track my DSs dad down, he knew I had gone to the CSA and has been awaiting contact. He won't contact them himself however.

On top of all that I have another case with my DDs NRP. He has rung then and stated he has shared care which is utter rubbish, as he has never had any contact with her at all, not ever in 6 years.

I was poorly and missed the appeal deadline, but rang as soon as I could which was the same time I opened my DS's case back in April. Although the hilarious thing is, I received the letter informing me of the decision and my right to appeal AFTER the appeal deadline!!!

It's taken them 12 weeks to action the change of circumstances, again, I had to inform then on 3 separate occasions, as again on all those occasions NOTHING was done. Theyd noted it but not actioned it.

I know they've now done something and backdated it but, if I hadn't been on at them constantly it would still be sitting there doing nothing. Meaning my ex would be adding to the arrears he already has, after thinking he'd change job and not pay for a year.

I've maxed out my overdraft as my sons maintainence was going towards paying for an expensive school trip he'll be going on later in the year. I obviously didn't want him missing out cos his dad doesn't want to pay for his responsibilities, now that he's remarried, they have no kids, so I don't see why my son should suffer.

It's annoying as they have no kids and both work full time. The arrangement we had hadn't been increased in 6 years despite his salary increase as he used to be minimum wage and is now on a much higher wage in a civil servant job.

It was never about the money, but now I hope the CSA screw him for every penny, so he's wishing he just carried on paying what he was paying.

I don't spend my kids maintainence on fags and booze etc, it goes on my kids and pays for things like experience of a lifetime school trips that I wouldn't otherwise be able to afford without their dads contributing.

(Why do I feel the need to justify myself)

So what steps do I do now to complain to the right people. I did ask on the phone to make a complaint, but was told that my case worker would deal with it when he got back to me late next week. But I don't believe them funnily enough.

Sensemaya

Was your private arrangement in writing?

Anyway I know how you feel being given the runaround by the idiots.

Best way forward is through your MP. Write a letter of complaint and get the MP's assistant to phone the Parliamentary hotline.They should get round to sorting it pretty quick.

Look at the sticky link for more info.

Financial Redress for Maladminstration is a good one.

pretzelnut

No our private agreement was NOT in writing but I had X amount paid via Standing order from his account to mine for many years since we stopped going via the CSA as they wanted more and more money from him and were saying he had arrears when we both knew he didn't. It was stressful for both of us. At one point the CSA were taking it off him, paying me and I was giving him it back as we both knew they were taking to much off him, but no one did anything. Hence why we went down the private route.

How is it not being in writing relevant? The CSA say they only backdate from the day I contacted them.

We had great communication for our sons sake and welfare until his new wife put her foot down, as she is jealous of our close relationship. There is nothing between us, we just want whats best for our child, as it should be.

Sadly it's my son who suffers in the end, both financially (although I do my best by sacrificing everything I can so he doesn't miss out), and emotionally, as he was so close to his dad but now that relationship is strained.

I hate people saying I'm money grabbing, NO I'm fighting for what my son is entitled to as he's to young to fight himself.

I think I'm going to request copies of my files and all recordings etc for all cases. Will they have kept recordings and paperwork from back in 2002?

cakeforbrains

I second going to your MP. I was able email mine and he (his secretary) got on it really quickly. At the same time I wrote a complaint in the CSA's online 'submit a complaint' form. I don't know whether it was that, or the MP, but my case got given a named caseworker in the complaints department. Mind you, they had sat on it for over a year at that point.

Also, regarding the school trip, if you're on benefits you might be able to get help paying for that. Always worth talking to the school as they don't like for children to miss out purely for financial reasons.

Make sure you keep a diary of all phone calls. File everything. Good luck.

pretzelnut

School would only fund the trip if you told them at the beginning that you were struggling. As I paid a small deposit to secure his place, they said I couldn't get anything from the school fund, as paying the deposit meant i was able to pay. Which is stupid. My circumstances changed a lot between paying the deposit in november and paying the final balance 2 weeks ago. I still have all the equipment to shell out for all the other pupils had 2 years to pay but as my son changed schools he only had 7 months, but I really didn't want him missing out. And the sacrifices are so worth it. I quit smoking which has helped a lot, 6 months fag free on the 7th July.

I'm going to email my mp on Monday.

pretzelnut

I have informed my MP by telephone this morning.

His secretary was lovely a massive difference compared to the CSA who again hung up on me this morning.