CSA have messed up- now we're !!!!!!ed!!!

Love_a_Bargain_8

Hi all,

Hoping someone can please help us...

My partner has been paying CSA for the last 3 years at the rate of £178pm, we had a baby back in October and informed them straight away.... It has taken them till now (after phoning every other day) to tell us that when the original calculation was made that they didn't include the fact that we were receiving tax credits so now they have to have a specialist come in to total up a figure that we owe :eek:

As you can imagine this is a massive blow, especially as my partner has always been honest and even phoned them if he has farted just to check if he owes any money for it :rotfl:

Can they do this even though it is their mistake, and if so is there anything we can do to drastically reduce payments due to us having a baby in our household?

Any help would be fab!!!

Thanks

Love_a_Bargain_8

Cheeky BUMP

Strapped

Love_a_Bargain wrote: »

Hi all,

Hoping someone can please help us...

My partner has been paying CSA for the last 3 years at the rate of £178pm, we had a baby back in October and informed them straight away.... It has taken them till now (after phoning every other day) to tell us that when the original calculation was made that they didn't include the fact that we were receiving tax credits so now they have to have a specialist come in to total up a figure that we owe :eek:

As you can imagine this is a massive blow, especially as my partner has always been honest and even phoned them if he has farted just to check if he owes any money for it :rotfl:

Can they do this even though it is their mistake, and if so is there anything we can do to drastically reduce payments due to us having a baby in our household?

Any help would be fab!!!

Thanks

Under CSA1, there used to be a rule that if arrears arose which were the fault of the CSA (either miscalculating or because they took years and years to sort out a calculation) then only the most recent 6 months' worth of arrears could be collected.

Presuming this rule still exists, then I would imagine that they could only back date the last six months. Some of these arrears may be offset by the fact you had a baby 3 months ago, which may have lowered your assessment a bit.

I would examine any figure they come up with VERY carefully!

You have my sympathy, because it's REALLY annoying when you are suddenly faced with a bill through no fault of your own (and everyone thinks that NRPs in arrears are total !!!!!!!s).

You should also be able to negotiate paying off the arrears over two years or so, so hopefully you won't just be slapped with a huge bill.

kelloggs36

That rule was scrapped ages ago

Cozworth806

Deferred Debt as it was called stopped in 2005.

You can complain, and go to your MP, but really your best hope is that you get someone sympathetic when negotiating the arrears. You may be able to appeal and get the total lowered, but I have seen appeals increase the amounts.
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So to summarise, you had kids already to get tax credits or is this just from October? You could ask for an interview to make sure all the calcs are correct and to lodge your issue.
Their is no "official error" clause that will stop the CSA collecting the payments, and it will be taken from his earnings if he refuses.