Just how useful are MPs?

Beverley

I've had a nightmare situation where I asked for an attachment of earnings as my ex was really messing about paying maintenance on time. I also asked for a review, as it had been 5 years since he had last been assessed.

They assessed him and decided to reduce his payments from £76 per week to just a tenner as he had produced a rent book which said his rent was enormous. (He has a mate who is a property developer!) The CSA employee said she didn't have to finish the assessment and advised me to just request it not be processed, which I did. She called me 3 days later to say that my ex had called to ask how it was doing so she'd just processed it anyway.

I asked for my case to be closed immediately so that I could claim under the new rules. She told me I'd have to wait 13 weeks before I could claim under the new rules and I said I knew this and still wanted it closed. She said she'd actioned it - I got a letter confirming this.

As the end of the 13 weeks neared, I contacted CSA only to be told that my case was not closed because there were outstanding arrears. Over the next few days I got conflicting advice from CSA staff as they tried to close my case (the computer wouldn't let them). Some said I could claim the arrears - others said I couldn't.

I was told that the only way to get my case closed was to send it to the clerical section. The only way to get it to the clerical section was to make a formal complaint. I did so - and copied it to my MP. He forwarded my letter to him, with a copy of my complaint to the CSA.

Eventually I got a call from someone else who said she was dealing with it - she confirmed this in a letter and supplied a phone number that was never answered regardless of when I rang and it had no answer machine.

I wrote making another formal complaint and copied that to my MP -he again wrote to the head honcho at Liverpool and included a copy of my complaint.

Again, I got a call from the same woman I'd spoke to before, saying that it had not been passed to the clerical section as they'd been hoping that the computer error might be fixed - but it wasn't! She said that she would ask for a complete reassessment of my case - (despite me requesting that last year!)

That was 7 weeks ago. Last week I made yet another formal complaint and copied it to my MP. I've received no reply/acknowledgement from my MP but today have received a letter from the CSA saying:

"I am sorry you are dissatisfied with the level of service you have received from the Agency.

Our complaint Resolution team will investigate the issues you have raised and will contact you in the next few days to update you on progress.

We aim to resolve your complaint within 15 working days. If we are unable to resolve your complaint fully within this timescale, we will contact you to negotiate an extension to this resolution period."

OK so after the 15 days (I don’t expect to hear anything) what do I do? - where do I go? Is there a higher authority than an MP?

Any help would be appreciated.

Beverley

Sensemaya

Please read pinned posting for advice etc.

You have been given wrong information regarding the arrears. The case should have been closed and the outstanding arrears should have just been brought over.

It's just the usual !!!! ups again.

The MP is really the only way to go. Over the past few days I have been telling people to ask their MP to write a letter to the CSA asking for a senior case manager to travel to MP's office so people can discuss their case in person.

It looks like your case is in Birkenhead. I hope it's not been transferred over to Bolton. If it is Bolton who is dealing with you, a meeting with SCM is the way to go.

Beverley

Sensemaya wrote: »

Please read pinned posting for advice etc.

You have been given wrong information regarding the arrears. The case should have been closed and the outstanding arrears should have just been brought over.

It's just the usual !!!! ups again.

The MP is really the only way to go. Over the past few days I have been telling people to ask their MP to write a letter to the CSA asking for a senior case manager to travel to MP's office so people can discuss their case in person.

It looks like your case is in Birkenhead. I hope it's not been transferred over to Bolton. If it is Bolton who is dealing with you, a meeting with SCM is the way to go.

Unfortunately, at the beginning of July, it was passed to the clerical section at Bolton. I called to ask them what was happening and was told that they'd contacted my ex and were awaiting details of his income. I called again on 27th July and was told the same thing. I said it was unfair that nothing had happened even though he was only supposed to be allowed 2 weeks in which to respond and was assured that someone from the clerical section would call back within 10 working days.

Of course no-one did so today I called again. Since my last call, the only new thing to happen is that yesterday I was assigned a new caseworker.

Yet again I pointed out that my ex has had far more than his 14 days in which to respond but the helpline person told me that because I've only just been assigned a caseworker, it's possible that there wouldn't have been anyone to pass any info my ex sent in so my new caseworker would probably have to request it.

I was stunned and blurted out, “Do you mean that because I have had no caseworker, the information has been lost?”. The helpline member then said I was putting words in her mouth. She said that although my case notes indicated that a form requesting details had been sent out on 9th July 2007, it wasn't clear whether the details requested were my ex's or mine and so it was possible that I had been previously misinformed. I said that I had not received any forms requesting information so presumably, those forms had been sent to my ex.

The helpline member told me that she would email my caseworker asking him to contact me but that if I had not heard from him by this Monday, I should call back again.

It's occured to me that my original claim was made on 31st August 2006 so it's taken almost a year to issue a form requesting his wage details and apparantly it should have been done within a month.

Anyway, I have 3 questions - can anyone help?

1. Is it reasonable at this point to request a meeting with a Senor Case Manager?

2. And - I think I'm more than entitled to compensation now - I believe that my claim would come under the category of "unreasonable delay in the issue of a maintenance enquiry form (MEF) to the non-resident parent (NRP)"

3. Does anyone know if I have to wait until after any assessment has been made to claim compensation or whether can do it now?

I have kept my MP informed and he's gee'd them up a few times.

Many thanks

Beverley

kelloggs36

You can ask for a Face to Face meeting to discuss the issue but not a senior case worker as they are not trained to do such interviews.

Yes, I would certainly think you are entitled to a compensatory payment for the delays

I would put in the request and you can ask for an additional payment of lost maintenance be paid by them as they should have sent the MEF out on time and so because they haven't you have lost money. You can ask your MP to refer the case to the Parliamentary Ombudsman for a thorough investigation of the case.

Beverley

kelloggs36 wrote: »

You can ask for a Face to Face meeting to discuss the issue but not a senior case worker as they are not trained to do such interviews.

Yes, I would certainly think you are entitled to a compensatory payment for the delays

I would put in the request and you can ask for an additional payment of lost maintenance be paid by them as they should have sent the MEF out on time and so because they haven't you have lost money. You can ask your MP to refer the case to the Parliamentary Ombudsman for a thorough investigation of the case.

Would referral to the Parlimentary Ombudsman not slow things down?

Beverley

kelloggs36

It shouldn't make any difference.