Help with making a complaint please

a1969baby

Good morning everyone!

I am soooo cross and virtually reached the end of my tether now.

I want to make a complaint about the CSA and I would like it to be done in a way which will actually result in some action being taken, possibly an apology, and maybe some sort of compensation (lol)

Its a very very long story, and has been going on for approx 10 years now, however at the beginning of this year the case finally went to court and my ex was ordered to pay off £5000 arrears at £50 per week for 2 years. He still has about £12,000 arrears outstanding for which no action has been taken yet.

After a few initial hiccups (they were giving 2/3rds of the sum to another case even though it was for my arrears, and after 10's of phonecalls they sent it to manual payments) I was recieving the £50.00 every week. However, in August 3 payments were missed, and this has still not been chased up, despite me ringing many times.

I recieved a payment on the 15th of Oct, then the 26th of Oct, this week nothing at all. My bank account has gone overdrawn this morning and according to the bank I could incur 2 x £30 charges. I phoned the CSA and they said someone will look into it and ring me back (yeah right!!)

There is a lot more to this story, but basically I am sick and tired of the CSA now. It is having an impact on my life and financial circumstances in a very negative way, and I want to do something about it!!

I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall

Sensemaya

Hi

Have a look at the pinned postings at the top of this forum. In a nutshell get your MP involved to start the complaints procedure off.

Mr_Green_Genes

I particularly recommend this one:-

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2003/frm/07_exgal.asp#f

It tells you what they have to pay you in compensation for their maladministration and incompetence. It worked for me! It includes any bank charges they've made you incur.

a1969baby

Hello again, thank you for your replies

True to form the CSA didn't bother to ring me back, so I had to ring them again. Spoke to quite a helpful lady, she says there is a backlog and I need to ring enforcement on Tuesday to see what they are doing. Ex hasn't made a payment since 15th Oct, so now that is 5 payments missed in total . I thought the point of going to court and getting a liability order was to ensure payment was made??

The ironic thing is my son has now left home to go to uni, the maintenence is arrears from 2002, although I have to count it as income now for things such as HB and CTB so I don't qualify for either of these. Nobody benefits from it and to be honest I could weep

I'll try and formulate a complaint letter over the weekend.. I think it could cover several pages!!

Sensemaya

a1969baby wrote: »

The ironic thing is my son has now left home to go to uni, the maintenence is arrears from 2002, although I have to count it as income now for things such as HB and CTB so I don't qualify for either of these. Nobody benefits from it and to be honest I could weep

I'll try and formulate a complaint letter over the weekend.. I think it could cover several pages!!

I have taken this issue of including maintenance payments - even when people are not receiving it- up with my MP. The reply I received back from the Council was it's not fair, but it's the rules so it's tough !!!!!! on you. C- Mess ( CS3) is not going to include maintenance payments, but it is of little help for people now caught up in the legislation. Obviously our MPs cannot be bothered getting the Law changed in the meantime.

As you are not in receipt of the arrears due to CSA incompetence they should offset the debt, shouldn't they?

Something else to mention to your MP.

I get a tiny amount off my CT and I wonder whether it's even worth claiming it given the onerous details the Council require from you.

Ok. You are owed arrears. The CSA should still be collecting them for you.

Please contact your MP. Book an appointment asap and hand them your letter of complaint. This is the ONLY way you can seek recourse.

Given the arrears are so much I would be seeking an advance payment and demanding they up the arrears payment so they will be paid up within a resonable time scale.