CSA and redundancy

looby75 · 1 January 2008 at 2:43PM

I'm posting this on behalf of a friend who got a nasty shock by text message last night.

She and her ex had a baby together 9 months ago, everything was fine at first but then the novelty wore off for him and he decided he didn't want to be "tied down" (they had been together for 4 years and the baby was planned) so he had an affair and left my friend.

He has never paid a penny to his dd since he walked out almost 6 months ago, so my friend contacted the CSA, her ex has a good job working in a factory on reasonably good money (he's foreman or something like that) and from the online calculator he should be paying her somewhere in the region of £255 a month. He has refused point blank to co-operate so far and she is really struggling to make ends meet.

Last night she got a "happy new year" text in which he informed her he had taken voluntary redundancy and was going to be getting a big pay off which he can happily live off for a couple of years without looking for a new job, so she could kiss goodbye to any CSA payments. As you can imagine my friend is very upset, she has just gone back to work at the end of her maternity leave and is seriously considering giving up because she just can't afford her living and travel costs, never mind childcare costs.

Does anyone know if she can still claim child maintenance payments now her ex isn't working but has admitted to her he will have an income of sorts in the form of this redundancy package?

looby75 · 2 January 2008 at 2:30PM

just bumping this in the hope that someone has some answers for my friend. She has been trying to get through to the CSA today ask them but it's been busy and she is very stressed

Sensemaya · 2 January 2008 at 3:42PM

When did she contact the CSA?

Voluntary redundancy can be deemed as diversion of income, so she needs to appeal. However, if they haven't sorted out the assessment yet...

Vomityspice · 2 January 2008 at 3:58PM

The problem will be actually getting the money....

If he really has taken volantary redundancy (he may well be just be lying to avoid any payments!) then when he is assessed his income will be so low that he is likely to pay very little (perhaps £5 per week).

Usually, the CSA would obtain 'compliance' by attaching a 'Deductions for Earnings' (DEO) on him and his employer which will be fruitless if this is the case. If he really does have no income then tragically there is not a lot you can do.

By all means appeal, but if he is able to live off his redundancy (and is happy to do so) then he is choosing to be in a position that is designed to penalise you (and particularly the child). Ultimately, if he's stubborn enough to reduce his quality of living (his redundancy won't last for ever), he may well realise it won't give him the luxuries that he is accustomed to.....

Sounds like a git!

looby75 · 2 January 2008 at 6:12PM

I'm not sure of the exact dates but from what I know when her ex left he promised to send money but after couple of months of excuses it became clear he had no intention of paying a penny. That is when she contacted the CSA. She had no current address for him but she knew where he worked and found an old payslip with his NI no on which she passed on to the CSA, that was about 3 months ago and as of yet there has been no assessment. Everytime she phones they tell her that they are still waiting for all the info to come back :mad:

Vomityspice, you are right he is a git, or at least he's turned in to one. We all thought he was a lovely lad and seemed so keen to be a Dad. Just goes to show you never know do you

Sensemaya · 2 January 2008 at 11:41PM

looby75 wrote: »

She had no current address for him but she knew where he worked and found an old payslip with his NI no on which she passed on to the CSA, that was about 3 months ago and as of yet there has been no assessment. Everytime she phones they tell her that they are still waiting for all the info to come back :mad:

What is good news is that she has his NI number. There is no escape.

She needs to keep phoning the CSA twice a week now to keep the pressure on and start complaining.

http://www.csa.gov.uk/en/case/hows-my-application.asp

looby75 · 3 January 2008 at 2:33PM

Thanks Sensemaya, she wasn't sure how long these things should take so didn't know if she would be expecting too much if she started being pushy already. When my ex left my CSA claim was all done by the jobcenter people as I had to go on benefits so I didn't know how long it normally takes either, that link is really helpful.

She managed to get through to speak to someone today and was told that they are waiting for her ex's employer to return some forms, they haven't been informed of her ex's redundancy but a note has been added to her file but they couldn't tell her where she stands re getting money off him if he does chose not to go back to work so loads of help there.

Thanks again for the advice.

kelloggs36 · 3 January 2008 at 5:09PM

Perhaps he hasn't actually taken redundancy and just wants to pi55 her off?

looby75 · 3 January 2008 at 6:17PM

kelloggs36 wrote: »

Perhaps he hasn't actually taken redundancy and just wants to pi55 her off?

it is possible I suppose, or maybe he's hoping she will just give up trying to get money for their dd if she thinks she has no hope.

We were all out together for new years eve when she got the text and we were all shocked at how nasty he has become, he really never used to be like that

Sensemaya · 3 January 2008 at 8:09PM

looby75 wrote: »

it is possible I suppose, or maybe he's hoping she will just give up trying to get money for their dd if she thinks she has no hope.

We were all out together for new years eve when she got the text and we were all shocked at how nasty he has become, he really never used to be like that

All the more reason for your friend to kick the CSA ar*se into gear.

To go off-topic it is shocking to understand how someone you loved and made a child(ren) with can SUDDENLY change so much once the relationship goes down the pits for one reason or another.

I have never got over my 2nd ex ( 1st ex was a very nasty man anyhow and I knew it. To keep my sanity I just walked out with nothing -homeless with my eldest - but I had to, and, in hindsight all these years later, it was the only thing to do ) changed.

It's just one of those things you can never comprehend,so it's no good pondering over.

Your friend should keep her cards close.

akane_2 · 1 February 2008 at 12:23PM

The csa do not class redundancy pay as income so your friend will not be able to claim any of his redundancy pay.
If he is getting job seeker's allowance or income support then he will pay a flat rate of £5 as mentioned above, but they will keep an eye on him if he is working on the sly or start's work again.

CSA and redundancy

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