Should CSA be doing more??

ragdoll24

I left my husband 4yrs ago due to domestic abuse and the fact he was having an affair.

For the first two years I got no CSA as they were chasing him and he refused to pay and they ended up getting a deductions of earnings but this took them two years (they have assessed in the 2yrs of him not paying that he owes me just over £3000 in arrears). Last year I actually started getting £280 a month from him for our 3 children plus £50 of the arrears so got a total of £330 a month which was wonderful and helped towards raising the 3 children.

Unfortunately this year I had a breakdown because although I left my husband 4yrs ago he has continued to harrass and abuse me and this year it was all too much and I had a breakdown. I have been left with severe depression/anxiety and high blood pressure, meaning I can not work at the moment so finances are extremely tight.

Then 5mths ago the CSA stopped, my husband got sacked from his job and went onto JSA. I was told by CSA that I would get £3 a week from JSA but 4mths later I have not received a penny! I rang CSA up last week and they informed me that there has been a change of circumstances and that I will not be getting any CSA what so ever!!! I am guessing my husband has registered as self employed and not declaring what he is actually getting.

I am so cross that he is getting away with everything, he has been fighting me through courts for access to his children which I have been allowing but did stop for a while because he was not sticking to his agreed contact and it was causing the children much upset, this is now being dealt with via the courts because I had to get an emergency non molestation order against him as he threatened to kill me and one weekend he would not give back our youngest daughter so I was also awarded a residency order. The residency order goes back to court this month and the non molestation order in December.

Because of my illness with my benefits after I have paid essential bills me and my 3 children are left with £100 a week to live on (pay food, clothes, hair cuts etc) its a major struggle and the CSA would be such a support.

My husband went out and brought a car for £3500 earlier this year and it really makes me cross that he can swan about and buy a car and enjoy his life with his girlfriend and not pay even a penny towards his 3 children.

Is there anything I can do as CSA seem to have drawn a line under it all!

CSAworkerx

You dont know what the change of circs was, you assume self emp but we wouldnt give you that info, so i have to assume that your just assuming that.

There are many circs that can alter a calculation, he may have simply been sanctioned at the job centre therefore not reciveing anything, which would in turn mean you wouldnt recive anything, thats just one scenario where circs could change.

I can only speak for the agency and not personally, and say we will do everything we can to get you what the law states you are entitled to, but if the nrp is doing everything and then some to NOT pay, we can only do so much. Its a harsh reality that some nrps simply do not think they need to pay for children, that lies with the nrp, not the agency.

id ring up and ask what circs have changed to warrant a nil assessment, but i wouldnt get your hopes up as we cannot give information about anyone to anyone else becuase of data protection laws.

i do feel sorry for your situation, but im trying to convey that while we try as caseworkers to get you what your owed, somtimes this just isnt possible.

ragdoll24

Thank you CSA worker.

I rang again today but they could not tell me anything and said it will take up to 90days until I am informed of anything.

The thing that annoys me is according to the details on the CSA site if the parent without care is on JSA then they have to pay a nominal amount of £5. As far as I am aware he was on JSA for 5mths and I have not received a penny. When I queried that today and asked why I didnt receive the nominal amount I was told that they had put an assessment in place but its down to JSA to pay it and that CSA can not chase JSA, so I asked who can chase JSA and they could not answer my question.

PreludeForTimeFeelers

ragdoll24 wrote: »

Thank you CSA worker.

I rang again today but they could not tell me anything and said it will take up to 90days until I am informed of anything.

The thing that annoys me is according to the details on the CSA site if the parent without care is on JSA then they have to pay a nominal amount of £5. As far as I am aware he was on JSA for 5mths and I have not received a penny. When I queried that today and asked why I didnt receive the nominal amount I was told that they had put an assessment in place but its down to JSA to pay it and that CSA can not chase JSA, so I asked who can chase JSA and they could not answer my question.

That isn't right - if a paying parent is on a prescribed benefit then it's down to the CSA to request the money from JCP - if these payments are missed then it's down to the CSA to investigate why this is happening.

ragdoll24

thank you Prelude, but the CSA are adamant and I now just give up, trouble is my children are suffering because I cant afford to buy them the most basic of things. I will be so glad when I can get back to work but the extra stress of juggling money and struggling to pay bills is not helping my condition, bit of a vicious circle.