Am I the solitary voice of praise for the CSA?
November 26, 2011
I’m currently going through a pretty amicable divorce. We both realised that, really, the whole thing wasn’t working for us both and it was time to move on.
I’m the only earner so I, of course, wanted to pay for my children. I started paying way too much – about a third of my wages. When I realised that this was just unsustainable, I explained. This was the only real hiccup that our divorce has had!
So, I volunteered to go to the CSA and get a judgement. I’d checked out the website calculator and worked out what I thought would be the calculation. It actually came out a few pounds lower than expected. I was elated because the judgement had worked in my favour. Now I could go back to her and use this as a basis for the amount I had to pay.
Now, I can hear the parents on here with fulltime care saying that that’s the CSA not working. No. You’re wrong. I’m now able to Read more
I work for CSA and hate it
November 18, 2011
I have been reading the stories on here and can only sympathise with people, being a single parent myself. I am currently employed with the CSA and the ‘organisation’ is a complete shambles. I am currently trying to get out and find a new job. There are far too many cases for staff to keep track of and the training given is completely irrelevant to the job itself. After coming out of training many staff are then left to their own devices with little support it’s no wonder there are so many mistakes. People are answering calls not knowing what they are talking about and no one to guide them. Attitudes towards dealing with cases is a disgrace, when asked how can one individual manage a caseload of over 100 the advice given was deal with whoever persistently calls and gives you hassle.
The attitude of some higher up staff is shocking. I have had people in tears on the phone and feel completely helpless. Parents with care have missed out on payments due to it taking so long to progress a case that by the time staff are able to get round to it, the non resident parent is no longer employed resulting in the whole process to start again. I have also witnessed Non resident parents being charged arrears that were not actually correct.
I have tried my best to help as many people as I can but the regulations and restrictions make it practically impossible, I can no longer handle the pressure and have raised all my concerns with higher levels of staff only to be shot down in flames.
Therefore I am looking to leave as soon as I can.
CSAhell.com featured on BBC Radio
March 18, 2011
Earlier this week CSAhell.com’s Darren Jamieson was asked to appear on a radio show about the government’s plans to force both non-resident parents and parents with care to pay to use the CSA. The radio show was a live show on BBC Radio York, with Adam Tomlinson, and took place on Monday 14th March.
During the interview concerns were raised that, although the government’s intention to encourage parents to not use the Child Support Agency at all and to make private agreements between themselves was good in its intention, the reality was far from workable. Too many times have we, at CSAhell.com heard from parents who have made private payments to their ex only for the CSA to turn around and claim that the payments were not for child maintenance at all, and that payments were still owed.
Even if parents had proof that they had paid, including bank statements and records of payments, with amounts and dates paid, the CSA still maintained that the payments were not for child maintenance and that the parent had to pay again.
When you have an organisation as corrupt as the CSA able to make deductions direct from your salary for arrears that it has fabricated, making a private arrangement with your ex becomes unworkable. It is only a matter of time before the CSA comes knocking on your door demanding more money from you, money you have already paid.
Listen to the interview here and let us know your thoughts. Have you made a private arrangement with your ex? Has it worked for you? Has the Child Support Agency acknowledged the private arrangement or have you had problems with them wanting more money from you?
CSAhell.com on BBC Radio York
March 15, 2011
In case you missed it, CSAhell.com took part in a discussion on BBC Radio York’s breakfast show yesterday morning with Adam Tomlinson. You can listen to the interview for another five days via BBC iPlayer, here (the show is the 14th March). To hear CSAhell.com’s Darren Jamieson, skip to 50 minutes in. The discussion about the CSA, and the government’s plans to make parents (both NRPs and PWCs) to pay for using the CSA, begins after about 45 minutes.
Remember though, there’s only five days left to listen to the show via BBC iPlayer.
Are you happy with the performance of the Child Support Agency?
March 15, 2011
The CSA is constantly releasing stories of how it’s collecting more money and how more children are benefiting (such as this one), but are you actually happy with the Child Support Agency? It’s a simple question, with one of two possible answers. Let us know here.
Loading ...The CSA should be shut down
March 1, 2011
I for one would love the CSA to be shut down so that way my Ex can stop using them as a theat to get what ever she wants from me.
We had an agreement in place I would pay £80 per month and had it set as standing order so I have proof of payment.
She recently decided to leave Bristol and move down to Devon with her new BoyFriend who she has only been wit for 5 months and enrol my 3 year old Son into a new school. That would all be fine if she talked to me about it first rather than wait till 4 days she is about to move to tell me this through FaceBook.
On top of that she then said I can only have m Son every other weekend instead of every week and that I would Read more
Help keep the CSA the way it is
February 24, 2011
It has taken over 8 months to start receiving payments from the childrens absent mother.
My ex did everything she could to avoid paying (ignoring phone calls, letters etc) so the CSA tapped into her wages at source.
Brilliant, but now the government are proposing to change the rules. They are now running a consulation process to change the CSA at our expense.
If you to had problems with your ex then you need to be concerned with the proposed changes because this is going to cost you money.
Here is a link to the consultation document:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/strengthening-families.pdf
The process will be completed on the 7th April 2011, so if you want to protect what you have then you need to say NO.
Half a million people complained about selling off the forset and the government did a u turn. I know you might not like this but we need to keep and improve what we have so we need to start making the government aware that we want the CSA left as it is (sorry).
CSA staff are doing their best
February 19, 2011
If the csa is that bad then why does it exist? and continues to do so?
I have a family member who works for them and until you actually know what they have to work with and the pressures they are under no-one can comment.
Yes, they do make mistakes, BUT children do not support themselves and that is what its all about, money! Don’t bullshit over access as they have NO jurisdiction over that and cant get involved, and maintenance is not to see your child its to help with the cost of bringing them up.
Each caseworker has an estimated 300 cases each to deal with and the crappiest computer system going, so until you know some facts shut up. The ironic thing is CSAhell.com are actually posting there pictures on facebook, do you not realize that they have access to database about you and could quite easily return the favour but they are not that pathetic?
Warning to all French fathers: never come to the UK
December 12, 2010
I have been severely ripped off by my ex: she grew up in uk and surely knew how things worked there. She went to France, where we quickly met, bought a flat and after 2 years finally got legally married – just before the baby was born. I insisted to do that at least. We cancelled the wedding twice before. Then for some strange reasons she wanted to go back to UK, when our son was 3.
Guess what: 3 months after, we separated! She vanished to her Mother (just front door) and made false allegations of violence. Despite the total lack of evidence, Police believed her and I was kicked out. (later on it was stated that there was no physical violence, only very subjective psychological elements – which in my opinion were worse from her than from me). So I lost then contact with my son for 8 months. It was the time it took to realise that nothing would be done by the authorities unless I would pay some expensive solicitors (nice country). Then I contributed on a voluntary basis but to an account supposely in my son’s name, that even the Bank refused to confirm (when they let his Mother open it without even informing me!). Then the Mother permanently changing the agreement reached with
Family Mediation, I had no choice to apply for a shared Residence Order. Never she was even criticised to have moved out without informing me, travel abroad without informing me, changing the boy of school 4 times without informing me and so on. No this does not count for Mothers in UK. But false allegations of doing nothing when you are a separated Father counts a lot, this is the culture here ! Any way I had my application rejected, but I had contact Order at least. No shared residence means, even if you share quite fairly the time, that you does not count (for school mainly). UK has no idea of sharing parenting. Every process is done as if only one parent car have main care.
Then comes the CSA:
I wanted things to get right and stop paying into an account none could certify. WHAT A MISTAKE I DID WHEN I CONTACTED THE CSA!!!
They are only a bunch of morons. I had been disadvised to contact them before and I quickly understood why: they took all my details wrong, including the contact order. For them 3 equals 2, no trouble. And you must answer them within 7 days, unlike them. Anyway, they threat you immediately to place a deduction earning order!!! They never deal in written (very good for non-native english speakers). And so on. Now I found that website csahell, I understand my pain is far from being ended…
Pfff
SACK THEM ALL
CAFCAS/CMEC Quangos time to go
November 13, 2010
According to the news, that I have read and fervently folowed, both CAFCAS and CMEC are listed amoungst the 900+ quangos under review to be be cut.
Therefore is it not time to strike while the iron is hot? ie plague the csa constantly,with phone calls,letters, solicitors and MP”s questions. It is now time to make sure all are equally treated by this Government body and the next understand that WE are no longer willing to be persecuted, becouse we are an easy target, yet the actual perpetrators disappear into oblivion becouse it is easier fot the CSA to Read more
