Overpayment

New_World_Man

After more than a decade with no missed payments I get my letter (which I was expecting) to confirm that my CSA obligations were now at an end.

Got a phone call today to say I had in fact overpaid and did I want the excess refunded. Unsurprisingly I say yes please and ask how much was the overpayment.

They can't tell me how much it is - they will need to work it out. Not even a ballpark figure.

Next they tell me that all my payments have been paid out to the PWC so even when they work it out they cannot simply repay me.

Sounds crazy. Surely CSA should repay the money that I paid to them and if they have wrongly paid it out then why do I end up prejudiced because of this?

Not the end of the world by any means but I find it objectionable that govt. agencies/quangos can play fast and loose with my cash.

Is this standard practice?

pmduk

New_World_Man wrote: »

Is this standard practice?

Yes, you wouldn't believe the antiquated Victorian style ledger based systems they have to work with that means it takes them a fortnight to give you a balance of your account. They have no fund of their own as such. Money received is paid out automatically to the PWC. If you can prove that the CSA should have known that the child would no longer be eligible for support eg because of age you have a grounds for complaint as they shouldn't have accepted the cash.

WYSPECIAL

Yes this is usual.

It will take them a couple of weeks to calculate then they will get back to you and ask if you want the money back and point out that it has already been paid out for the benefit of your children.

If you say you want it then you get an immediate refund from public funds and they have to try to recover it from the PWC.

Having not had any contact with the PWC for years I told them that I wanted it.