Reducing the amount I pay on my arrears

mikesw15

Is it possible for my to reduce how much I pay back on my CSA arrears, it has been to court and I offered to pay £30 a week but now I just can't afford it, can CSA change the amount or would it need to go back to court ?

HappyMJ

Yes if it is genuinely unaffordable it can be reduced. You will be allowed to live on an amount similar to someone claiming JSA (benefits) plus an amount to pay your council tax, your rent/mortgage (for an appropriately sized house...i.e not a 4 bed house when all you need is a 2 bed house) and enough to pay for your minimum travel costs to get to/from work(i.e bus season ticket if appropriate). Any other expense will not be allowed. It's usually a maximum of 40% of your pay but you can reduce it in extraordinary circumstances.

mikesw15

So you might as well be on benefits lol

HappyMJ

mikesw15 wrote: »

So you might as well be on benefits lol

Not really. The obvious one is your kids would be better off.

You might be able to get a fully maintained company car provided by your employer to do your work which is excluded from CSA. The tax you pay so you can use it privately can reduce your net salary. You can also increase your pension contributions so your net salary now is lower. That can help you in the future by increasing your pension.

Personally, I'd get a better education getting a grant so you can live and improve your training and skills so that you can earn a lot more in the future than you do now.

PreludeForTimeFeelers

HappyMJ wrote: »

Not really. The obvious one is your kids would be better off.

You might be able to get a fully maintained company car provided by your employer to do your work which is excluded from CSA. The tax you pay so you can use it privately can reduce your net salary. You can also increase your pension contributions so your net salary now is lower. That can help you in the future by increasing your pension.

Personally, I'd get a better education getting a grant so you can live and improve your training and skills so that you can earn a lot more in the future than you do now.

Also, if you go on benefits to avoid paying your arrears then you're only delaying those repayments, you'll still have to pay them eventually, the arrears aren't wiped out.