Living Together - and CSA Letter

MintyCyrmu

Hello all.

My partner an I have lived together for many years and have Three daughters, aged 20, 18 and 16.

My oldest daughter has left home and is employed, getting on with life.

Last year, my other two daughters (aged 18 and 16) left school in June, and since then have been seeking work. The 18 year old has found work, the 16 year old has not yet been so lucky.

I have been supporting them and my partner (we never married) happily in one house hold with no benefits/support etc. other than tax credits and child benefit, both of which ceased in August last year (when they left school).

Today, both my partner and I (at the same address mind you!) received a letter from the CSA stating that I need to pay £18.76 per week from the end of August 2014 for the 18 and 16 year olds.

Confused!

I don't want to talk to the CSA without knowing what to say first, as I've heard some scary stories of them backing people into corners and getting them into all kinds of mess.

What do you reckon?

shoe*diva79

You cant pay CSA for children that you live with and are living with/in a relationship with their mother.

One of you must have opened a case?

DUTR

I didn't think there can be school leavers aged 16 in 2014, don't they have to stay until at least 17 and then 18 in 2016?
ETA
It seems looking at the OP's screen name, they maybe from the other side of the Severn Bridge as Wales rules for leaving school differ from in England and Scotland

School leaving age


England

In England, your leaving age depends on when you were born. You can leave school on the last Friday in June as long as you’ll be 16 by the end of that year’s summer holidays.
You must stay in some form of education or training until your 18th birthday if you were born on or after 1 September 1997.
Your options are:

• full-time education - eg at a school or college
• an apprenticeship or traineeship
• part-time education or training - as well as being employed, self-employed or volunteering for 20 hours or more a week

Scotland

In Scotland, if you turn 16 between 1 March and 30 September you can leave school after 31 May of that year.
If you turn 16 between 1 October and the end of February you can leave at the start of the Christmas holidays in that school year.
Wales

In Wales, you can leave school on the last Friday in June, as long as you’ll be 16 by the end of that school year’s summer holidays.

MintyCyrmu

DUTR wrote: »

I didn't think there can be school leavers aged 16 in 2014, don't they have to stay until at least 17 and then 18 in 2016?
ETA
It seems looking at the OP's screen name, they maybe from the other side of the Severn Bridge as Wales rules for leaving school differ from in England and Scotland

Wales

In Wales, you can leave school on the last Friday in June, as long as you’ll be 16 by the end of that school year’s summer holidays.

This is is true, and yes I am aware that I've embarrassingly spelled my own username wrong

shoe*diva79 wrote:

One of you must have opened a case?

Nope, the letter starts "Following a change to your child maintenance......"

I used to pay maintenance many years ago when our relationship was a little sour and I lived separate, but that scenario ended many years ago.

I've not paid any maintenance in years, and lived together with my partner and children as the chief provider.

DUTR

MintyCyrmu wrote: »

This is is true, and yes I am aware that I've embarrassingly spelled my own username wrong



Nope, the letter starts "Following a change to your child maintenance......"

I used to pay maintenance many years ago when our relationship was a little sour and I lived separate, but that scenario ended many years ago.

I've not paid any maintenance in years, and lived together with my partner and children as the chief provider.

Did you/he advise them of the change of circumstance?

MintyCyrmu

No, we didn't.

shoe*diva79

There is your answer then! If you don't tell them when your circumstances change then they will chase you for arrears. If I were you I would be calling them pronto!

MintyCyrmu

I just called them and the first person I spoke to confirmed that there are no arrears on our account, he then put me through to another person to close the case.

Before she did she wanted to know when we rekindled, it's been a few years (during which time we received no benefits other than child tax credits) and I couldn't give her a date, but she was a bit pushy about it

She then said that she needs to talk to my partner to corroborate this (she's at home, I'm in work).

I'm getting nervous now!

DUTR

MintyCyrmu wrote: »

I just called them and the first person I spoke to confirmed that there are no arrears on our account, he then put me through to another person to close the case.

Before she did she wanted to know when we rekindled, it's been a few years (during which time we received no benefits other than child tax credits) and I couldn't give her a date, but she was a bit pushy about it

She then said that she needs to talk to my partner to corroborate this (she's at home, I'm in work).

I'm getting nervous now!

Why are you getting nervous?
The arrears would go back to yourselves (if there were any) and none due to the State.

MintyCyrmu

The horror stories I've heard/read where CSA conjour up all kinds of nonsense and end up dragging people through courts etc.

I do regret calling them now and wish I'd just responded in a letter. I was so nervous on the phone I probably sounded well dodgy.

DUTR

MintyCyrmu wrote: »

The horror stories I've heard/read where CSA conjour up all kinds of nonsense and end up dragging people through courts etc.

I do regret calling them now and wish I'd just responded in a letter. I was so nervous on the phone I probably sounded well dodgy.

Often the 'horror' stories are from those trying to evade contributing or those really trying to milk the NRP.