Face to face meeting..what to expect?

michelefauk

Me again!

For anyone who doesnt know, my ex owes £31000 in unpaid maintenance which I have been battling to get the CSA to collect for the past 14 years. Going round in circles trying to deal with it over the telephone as they have made so many mistakes so I requested a face to face interview, which they said was unlikely as they are extremely rare! I have now been given a time and place (this Friday at the local Jobcentre) and it is my chance to put my point of view across I suppose.

Has anyone got any experience of face to face interviews? I am very nervous!

kelloggs36

You can insist - it is a customer services interview that you want.

kelloggs36

It will be fine - they are very nice (I was one!!!!) They should have information about your case - so you need to ensure in advance that they do have a knowledge about the history of the case. I would ring and insist that they get not only the recent stuff, but look into the whole case because that is what you want to talk about.

michelefauk

Iam sure if they are as nice as you I have nothing to worry about! The chap I have been talking to about it said that she will be up to speed on most of my case, but it is the time to ask any questions I have and bring up anything that is on my mind. If she doesnt know the answers then she will go away and find out (that is where I worry I would get fobbed off, I dont want a letter 2 weeks after the interview saying " we have looked into your case and are going to do nothing about it!"
WHat worries me is that I will start blubbering, I get very emotional when talking about my children's welfare and my pig of an ex, so will take a big box of tissues with me. How long will she allow me for the interview do you know? I know there is a block booking for several of us that day.

kelloggs36

It depends on when the next interview is booked for - if you think it will take a long time, perhaps you might like to indicate this in advance to allow the F2F officer the chance to reschedule subsequent appointments? If you are the only one in the morning, then you will not be rushed - only if the next appointment is in will you be rushed a bit!!!

michelefauk

Thanks.
My appointment is 9 am and I have to be at work at 11 anyway so will be straight to the point.
Does any good come out of these face to face interviews do you think? I am hoping just someone listening to me would be a start!

kelloggs36

It depends on what the issues are to be honest. In my experience, I helped to get many cases back on the right track, but in some cases it was a case of just listening to an NRP or a PWC complaining about the legislation which I can't do anything about. In your case though, I would be expecting to be able to show what steps have been taken to put the case back to what it should be.

michelefauk

That makes sense.
One of my main gripes is that although they have paid me some of the arrears, £14k is still owed to me and they are doing nothing to collect this. The Liability Order was issued Feb 07 and they say the bailiffs have been out twice in that time (once to the wrong address) and nothing else is being done, despite me giving them his address, work address, etc etc, you know the story. The NRP is shortlyto leave his job according to my DD and that is another lost apportunity for the CSA, he has been there 6 months and they have failed to contact his employer. He will now be moving on to another job, and we start all over again.

kelloggs36

They haven't got a DEO? What is the matter with them???? Does he rent?

michelefauk

Exactly. Why havent they contacted the company? I gave them the telephone number and everything else I could, including his car reg. I even phoned the company he works for myself and he answered the phone, proof that he works there you would think! The CSA havent done anything about this as far as I know. They said they would contact the company, but I dont know if they have.
As for renting, he lives with his on/off girlfriend in a council property which I think is in her name as she is a single parent to 7 children, the latest one his!

mumof3mk

hi there, so sorry to barge in you rpost, but could someone please tell me how and where i ask and whom i ask for a face to face interview with.

this is something i need doing, as my 3 kids csa cases are in such a mess, (long story), and still im getting nowhere with them.

do you ask csa for this meeting, or local jobcentre..
any help wil be great thanks