CSA are persecuting me

January 21, 2009

I am a man of limited means but up to recently i had always paid child support
I first started paying child support in 1999 i have also always paid them what they asked me to and had regular statements from them confirming this.

19 months ago i had a letter from them telling me that from 2000 i should have been paying 7 times more money than they actually asked me to pay, i was beeing stretched to the max to pay what they had asked me for the last 7 years not only that but because of them not telling me to increase the payments it now ment that i now owed over £20,000.00 from the past.

On opening the letter and reading this i phoned them up only to be told that if it was not paid in 7 days they will start taking legal action
3 weeks after recieving the letter another came through the post telling me to pay per week what i had been paying and i still have the letters to prove this so i just assumed there must be some kind of mistake on their part.

3 months on a summons arrives on my doorstep for the sum of £12,000.00 i could not believe it how the hell they thought i could lay my hands on £12k just like that i dont know they obvisly dont live the life that mine and many others live

So 6 weeks later off to court i go and the csa got a liability order on my home, i went to court armed with paperwork to dispute thier case only to be told i am not allowed to show my eveidence.

So from then we have had 2 visists from the bayliffs hammering 7 shades of shit out my front door and on one occassion blocking my exit on the way to work early on morning.

The csa have nowplaced a restriction on my home which has really stuffed up my credit rating which is really causing major problems which effect the way i have to pay supplier connected with my job.

Still not being able to pay for a solicitor i have tried to get advice from a few legal associations but everytime i been to court i have still not been able to show my evidence so i write to the csa appeals panel i get 2 replys wrote on the same day by the same person one telling me that my appeal can not be accepted and the other telling me my appeal will be read and completed in under 10 weeks.

Before getting a reply from the appeals committe i recieve a summonds to go to court very soon now but this time they want to send me to prison and get my driving licence taken off me for 2 years which driving is one of the main points off my job as well as having a disable wife who needs transporting to the drs and hospital frequently, then 2 days after that i get my reply from the appeals comitte telling me that i have lost my appeal.

In totall disbelive i sit down in floods of tears reading the case notes they returned to me as to how they reached thier decission in the middle of this mass of paperwork i find another persons case file, in shock i read on only to find that the other man (who’s name, addresss, nat ins number, his daughters mothers details and his financial arrangements,

I sit there with my mouth open to the floor instead of being upset i’m now fumeing mad only to read on to see that they have used some of his financial arrangements for his daughter have been included in my case file for my 2 sons.

The thoughts off piss ups and brewerys springs to mind but this just goes to show the absolute in compedence of the csa. So that means that they are trying to get me sent to prison with some infomation from someone elses case file what the hell am i going to do i’ve been to the citizens advice only to be told that i need a solicitor that specialises in csa law.

I would very much like others to post comments on this and if any body has any advice they can offer would be greatfully recieved, after my court case and if i’m not sent to jail i will put my e-mail address and name on here and if anybody out there is in the same situation i will gladly help anybody with what i have leant through this the worst time of my life

Comments

  • deadbeatdad says:

    Hi John,You state you were told you were not allowed to show your evidence, who told you this Magistrates or CSA Court Officer? If it is the magistrates you need to get as cmplaint in to the Court Manager and the OJC, the magistrates neeed to be stricken off for perverting the course of justice, this is simply a violation of your Human and Constitutional rights and is a criminal offfence, if the CPO told you this then should not be overruling the Justice Sysytem.
    They cannot remove your license as you need it for work, this is the decision of the court, despite the fact they threaten it the final decision is up to the judge, unless he is corrupted by the CSA which it seems to be the case now.
    What I would do now is contact that other person whose case files they included in with your paperwork and inform him that the Secreatary of State (CSA) has breached the Data Protection Act by giving out his details to a stranger, should make a good write up for the papers too. Make your MP aware also of what was said in court and if you would like us to help you with your case we can do its free and we have had experience now in court at showing these people up, we can be contacted at [email protected]

  • chall says:

    Hi,

    The bailiffs make 3 visits in total, if they don’t get any joy the case will be returned to the Agency.

    When the CSA gain a Liability Order, the only action they can take at this point is to employ bailiffs. To use any further enforcement powers, the case has to go back to court.

    If action is forthcoming for committal/disqualification from driving – the court must enquire inti the parents means and whether they need their driving licence.
    a court has to be satisfied there has been wilful refusal/culpable neglect and committal is appropriate, before a committal warrant is issued.
    However committal is usually postponed on conditions, usually regular payments.

    There’s more info on http://www.afairercsaforall.co.uk/ – If you need any further help you can find me on the forum.

  • johneverett says:

    thanks for the responces to CSA are persecuting me .
    the last 18 months of my and my wifes life have been absolute hell
    ever since 1999 my maintenance case has been dealt by the CSA and since then i had allways taken notice of any thing to do with fathers protesting about the unfairness of the CSA but untill this happened to me i never really understood the torment and distress it causes people.
    i now know why it causes people to take their own lives and its not like cases like mine are few in numbers.
    i have done quite a lot of searching on the web and it has shocked me that there are thousands of cases a lot worse than mine and i find it hard to belive that with so many cases like this the CSA is still allowed to continue with their relentless destruction of peoples lives i know they are not called the CSA now but its the same group of emotionless orginations which are destroying people’s lives.
    my court case has now been ajurned untill march 3rd and i will keep this site posted of any developments.
    just the 2 comments i’ve had from chall & deadbeatdad have given me a so desperatly needed lift and though i’m no legal expert if anyone wants any advice i will gladly help anyone i only have my experiences to go on.
    i have been in contact with a reporter at my local newspaper and i think he would like to do a story on me and i will do my upmost to make it clear that i am not the only person suffering like this, i have wrote to 7 national newspapers, my local MP and even the primeminister but they dont seem intrested the responce i got from the primeministers dept was them sending my letter with acomping evedience to the CSA which was the same as them throwing it straight in the bin
    i’m sorry about the spellings as english was not one of my strong points in school good luck to any one in our position and i know its hard but try not to let these bastards destroy you
    thanks for listening john take care all off you

  • deadbeatdad says:

    The papers are gagged my friend by a corrupt organisation called Common Purpose, look up Common Purpose and Brian Gerrish and that will open your eyes, they do not want the corruptuion and unlawful behaviour being made public, they are infiltrated in with the CSA too and also the Justice system which is why Liability ordrs are being granted without any evidence shown by the CSA, that is corruption in itself. You need to stand your ground in court when you next go in if you need help to type your defence up give us a shout, we managed to win another case in Scotland for a guy who had an £8000 arrears debt hanging over him.
    Contact us on 07523936072 or email us at [email protected] and we will respond to you

  • John Chapman says:

    If you have not written to the Data Protection Unit of the CSA requesting the details they hold on you – do so now! Their address is:
    The Child Support Agency Data Protection Unit
    Room BP6002
    DWP Benton Park View
    Longbenton
    Newcastle upon Tyne NE98 1YX

    Include your Date of birth, National Insurance Number and CSA reference number.
    Start you letter – Dear sir or madam
    Please send me the information to which I am entitled to under section 7(1) of the Data Protection Act 1998. I request all computer and clerical records to which I am entitled, and would ask that the notepad sections of the computer files are dated.
    If you need further information from me, or a fee, please let me know as soon as possible.
    If you do not normally handle these requests for your organisation, please pass this letter to your Data Protection Officer or another appropriate official.
    Make sure you date and sign the letter and send it recorded delivery.

    They are supposed to send you this information within 40 days but it took five years before they provided this information to me! Don’t give up – keep sending regular reminders – you can hand these in to your local DSS/Jobcentre and get them to make you a copy.

    My details were a revelation. There were LOADS of mistakes in the three inch pile of paper they sent. Armed with this you can see your MP and request an official investigation and compensation for the distress they have caused you.

    Mistakes I had were:
    claiming I was a self employed window cleaner for the 3 years I had been stranded abroad by my Ex
    Refusing a ‘supercession’ (re-assessment) on the grounds that it would be to my benefit
    Letters sent to ‘me’ at the wrong address
    Notes about telephone calls made to me in which I had ‘agreed that the information was correct’ – No such calls were made and they had not completed a form CSA555 (record of telephone conversation) for the dates they claim the calls were made
    Use of tax records dating back to dates before I was born.
    Not recording voluntary payments
    Showing payments into a ‘holding account’ but no record of where those payments went
    Charging me 15.9 times the maximum payment they were allowed to request for arrears
    Not contacting me for a period of one year despite having my address and phone number (hence the arrears)
    Misleading my MP by providing only part of the data requested by him.
    Failing to inform me of the Temporary Compensation Scheme which ran from 2000 to 1 April 2002 and which could have reduced my arrears by £1,691
    and of course taking six years to provide information under the Data Protection Act

  • John Chapman says:

    Oops – I first asked for DPA information six years ago but sent the first written request five years ago

  • steve kirkbride says:

    i wonder if anyone can help me i missed 3 payments last year and now they are chasing me for those missed payments,i have been re-assesed as i remarried 16 months ago taken on another family and they just wont listen. They re-assesed me with no difference even tho my ex has had a live in boyfriend for the last 4 years. i am at my lowest point at the moment and i feel like ending it as i have no money to pay them and if they take it out my earnings then i have nothing at all even to pay the bills in my new house hold

    is there anyone who can help me pls

  • Michael says:

    Hi Steve, unfortunately the CSA don’t care that you can’t afford to pay your bills. If you’re in employment they will order a DEO and take the money direct from your pay before you receive it. Your employer has to comply or they’ll fine them and send bailiffs to your workplace.

    The CSA do this because they see people in employment as easy targets. They can steal your money and there’s nothing you can do about it.

    Your only real option is to quit your job and sign on the dole. They can’t go after you for earnings if you have no earnings.

    The fact that your ex has a boyfriend living off your money doesn’t matter. It will affect your ex’s benefits, but won’t affect your deductions because the CSA want your money for themselves anyway.

  • steve kirkbride says:

    hi michael

    tks for your answer is there anyway i can get around this as it seems very unjust and why should i give up work as that will not help anybody and as my kids live 200 miles away when they re assesed me it left me with £50 a month to live on and it costs that to go up and see my kids and it dont cover my petrol to go to work

  • chall says:

    Quote Michael “Your only real option is to quit your job and sign on the dole. They can’t go after you for earnings if you have no earnings.”

    The Agency could class this as deprivation of income’, which can be applied if the NRP gave up their job – In which case their child support liability would still stand.

  • deadbeatdads says:

    There is another way you can opt out of paying child support all together but we will inform you of that privately in your email you sent to us
    daedbeat dad

  • steve kirkbride says:

    i just want to say thankyou to deadbeatdads they have helped me a lot with advice over the last couple of days so i know how to handle them when they ring me up 2 night

    thanks for all your help guys

    steve

  • deadbeatdads says:

    No worries Steve many thanks for the recordings you sent on to us, more for us to add so that we can expose more and more of their lies and their corruption and their blatant lack of knowledge when it comes to the law.
    It is noce when you fight back atthem and you tell them where they have broken the law, notice the silence, notice how they can’t answer your questions, we will edit the calls and take out your dsetails then we will post them to our site, and our sister site, plus we will copy them and when we spring our suprise visit on Purnell he will get copies too and we will be demanding answers as to why he is lying about DEO and removing licences as a last resort when in fact they are using it as a first resort.
    Its nice when you can fight back

  • scott sinden says:

    I have the same problem DEO from my employer, but they’ve messed up again! no surprises there!
    This last months pay – Feb 09. they didnt get the DEO in time to take it from my pay so I haven’t contacted them to wait and see what the response would be…
    On saturday 7th Feb I got a letter – Urgent contact them! and they have been trying to contact me, however, I never ever ever give them a phone number the last time i did they phoned it even after i had left the company 2 yrs later! They pester, harass and a nightmare..so i struggle to work out who they have been phoning?

    When I phoned the number it was debt enforcement but funny thing the computers were all down? I ring Falkirk although I live in Kent. When i asked if that’s all the CSA i was told yes..I mentioned Blackpool and was bluntly told “yes” when i asked why they were there i was told,”to answer the phones” why not just use an answerphone message?

    Anyway I now have to contact them on Monday and find out what I already suspect to pay Feb. amount. My question is if they have a DEO can they ask for the amount or can they take it from March pay?

    The reason for the DEO is that they have cocked up endless times this last change of circumstances took them 4 months to work out! and in the past I have moved told them and they claim not to have had my new address and then create arrears which are around £4000 (of course i haven’t got this amount) so they also add a considerable chunk to the regular amount.

    I am considering asking for my file under the DPA might be interesting reading although I have already got my MP involved, which sort of helps but I believe its all covered up and no-one tells the real story about the CSA!
    I have contemplated “jumping in front of the train” but why should I let these people win! I have sat in tears with my new wife countless times angry and frustrated but this last letters takes the biscuit..

  • Mark Jones says:

    deadbeatdads above you said that there is a way of avoiding paying at all, is it possible you could give me some advice.

    Currently the CSA are taking the payments out of my wages directly each month, and it has got to the point where I no longer beleive I’ll be able to keep up my rent payments, let alone all the other bills.

    If you require more information just let me know.

    Thanks

  • john everett says:

    i know exactly what you mean mate i would not wish the hell that me and my wife have been through in the last 2 years on my worst enermy.
    i too have sat many a time in tears with my wife wondering why i should bother to draw my next breath and i fully understand why fathers get to the point of taking there own lives and i still find it hard to belive that an organisation like the CSA seem to ride roughshood over everyone they come into contact with destroy peoples lives and have thousands of cases like this and seem to get away with it every fucking time.
    the CSA rep who has attended court when i’ve been summond makes hitler look like a little lovely fluffy kitten and no like the bloodthirsty evil bastard with no reguard for anyone else and i find it so hard to talk with them as what ever you say to them falls on deaf ears and there very “matter of fact” that this is what we are going to do so kiss your life good bye.
    when i sent all the infomation in to them which they demanded to be able to form my appeal case they managed to get someone elses case file mixed in with mine and used his financial details to formulate my appeal case i have all the other blokes details and personal records i have 2 sons the other bloke has one daughter but in my case they state i have 2 boys but in their summing up they state about my details of how i have been supporting my daughter who i dont have this just goes to show what a bunch of tossers they are but the legal system seems to be an instrument they use to screw the life out of fathers who dont have their children living with them.
    i too tried my local mp who just told me if the CSA say you owe them then you have to pay reguardless of weather you can or not

  • jakeB says:

    Be careful stevie. some peole dont take there own advice. have they opted out?

  • Deadbeatdad says:

    Mark- it involves a process but not everyone can or indeed is willing to do it, contact the dbd website and drop us an e mail explaining you posted on here and we can let you know.

  • I SYMPATHISE WITH YOU ALL , I AM HAVING MANY PROBLEMS WITH CSA. I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THE CSA FOR 10YRS NOW AND HAD NOTHING BUT HELL. I HAVE BEEN TO COURT 5 TIMES A COUPLE OF WHICH THE CSA DIDNT EVEN TURN UP FOR, AND WHEN I TRIED TO CLAIM COMPENSION FOR LOSS OF EARNING AND LEGAL FEES THE COURTS DISSMISSED THIS YET IF I HADNT OF TURNED UP THERE WOULD OF BEEN A WARRENT FOR MY ARREST. I HAVE HAD ONE LIABILTY ORDER AGAINST ME, BAYLIFFS THREATING ME ( ONE EVEN WANTED ME TO MEET UP WITH HIM IN A CAR PARK TO DISCUSS PAYMENTS???!!!) I WAS PAYNG VIA DEO FOR SEVERAL YEARS I THEN CHANGED JOBS OF WHICH I CONTACED THE CSA TO INFORM THEM OF CHANGE OF EMPLOYMENT. IT TOOK THEM 5 MTHS TO GET BACK TO ME ONLY TO BE TOLD TO CONTINUE PAYING THE SAME AMOUNT VIA DEO, ONLY TO BE NOTIFIED 6MTHS LATER THAT I SHOULD OF INFACT BEING PAYING DOUBLE WHAT I WAS AND THEREFORE OWED THEM 10K IN ARREARS . I THEN HAD NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO GO SELF EMPLOYED AS THEY WERE TAKING 39% OF MY NET INCOME !! LIKE ANYBODY ELSE I HACE DEBTS , MORTGAGE , BILLS ETC AND WITH THIS DEDUCTION I AM IN FINICIAL TROUBLE . I HAVE RECENTLTY GONE BACK TO EMPLOYMENT AND THEY ARE NOW ON MY CASE AGAIN . I HAD A CALL AT WORK ON MONDAY OF WHICH WE AGREED THAT I WOULD BE RE ASSSED THEN WE WOULD GO FROM THERE , ONLY TO HAVE A DEO PLACED ON ME TODAY OF WHICH IS 34% OF MY INCOME ! . I HAVE TRIED MY LOCAL MP BUT HE IS AS MUCH GOOD AS A CHOCOLATE FIRE GUARD . I HAVE MOVED HOUSE RECENTLY THAT IS WHY I WANTED TO BE RE ASSED MY OUT GOINGS ARE A LOT MORE NOW BUT I STILL HAVE TO PAY 34% ? I AM AT THE END OF MY TEATHER AND DONT WANT TO QUIT MY JOB AS I HAVE ACHIEVED A LOT AND ALSO WHERE IS THE SENSE IN THAT ESPECIALY IN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE . I FEEL MENTALLY AND PHISICALY DRAINED AND AT THE POINT OF DESPAIR . I LOVE MY DAUGHTER BUT I HAVE SEEN HER 1 IN 4 YEARS AS THEY MOVED TO OTHER END OF COUNTRY AND ALSO MY WORK MEANS THAT IT IS HARD FOR ME TO GET THERE , I WORK 60 + PER WEEK SO THAT MAKES IT EVEN HARDER FOR ME . I CANT AFFORD A SOLICITOR AND NOW I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO ??? PLEASE HELP AS NOBODY ELSE HAS BEEN ABLE TO !!

  • Archie says:

    Reading some of the comments on this page I feel quite lucky,I had paid Maintenance for 13years via the CSA literally thousands of pounds firstly for two kids then as they grew just the one,although when it came to just paying for one I thought the payments would reduce….wrong the actually went up.You,s Know the attitude of the case worker…. the remaining child is older so we need more maintenance to support her… end of..we could always reassess you if you would prefer….well what do you think ….. when you’ve been working overtime to make ends meet after they’ve had their bit.
    I thought I had finally come to the end of the sinking feeling when the brown envelope falls on the doormat the dread you feel when opening it.When in July my Daughter decided that she wanted to live with me and (much to the disgust of her mother) moved in with me and my wife.Admittedly it did feel good to ring the CSA and tell them I wouldn’t be Paying any maintenance anymore,but it was to be short lived.
    they amazingly found I had arrears on my case,were from I don’t know because I hadn’t missed a payment in thirteen years.anyway it took them until 31st of December to finally sort this amount out…in which time I couldn’t claim against my ex for maintenance for her to pay me(for a change) and she after taking thousands off me for years didn’t offer to help.So at the moment I am awaiting the processing of my claim(although I don’t like to use the CSA for this I thought It would let her see the misery it can cause you ) and I am paying her the arrears owed after getting threatening letters from Bailiffs ..I mean I have the child living with me and I’m still paying CSA. and she,s had 6 months free because of the incompetence of you know who.
    Finally I have put in a complaint about all this but reading the comments on this page I don’t think I have much chance of getting anywhere.My message to anyone suffering thanks to these incompetent bastards is chin up don’t let them grind you down and try not to take it out on the kids.they’re the innocents in all this and they will grow up and make their own choices.

  • SB says:

    Archie, there are things that you can do , even at this stage,look up deadbeatdads and you will see what can be done to fight back.

  • Vicki says:

    Hi , I have been trying to get money for my dauhter for the last 18months my ex lied about his income and i have now been granted 14.00 pw for my daughter .

    he missed 6 payments and nothing has happened to him .

  • Paul says:

    Intersting reading some of the comments. The theme seems to be the same throughout and doesn’t surprise me at all, namely relentless persecution and maladministration by the csa which benefits no-one.
    The CSA are taking me to court on Friday 27th March to either a:commit me to prison or b:take away my driving licence. I don’t have a stain on my character so if the CSA manage to pull that one off they’re capable of anything.
    In my case the CSA are claiming £1000 for maintainance arrears granted by a court via a liability order in my abscence. The CSA calculated these arrears incorrectly and ignored a letter I sent to them by registered mail before the liability order court case (they lost the first one) explaining to them that I had my daughter sleep over at my house for 115 or so days that year and so they should have charged me at £5.00 per week – I also offered to pay them £10 per week by D/D but I didn’t hear anything from them. Regardless, they rarely re-calculate anything and went ahead and got the Liability Order and kept sending me demands for £1000 which I don’t have on Jobseekers Allowance.
    I have regular contact with my daughter and I need my driving licence to collect her from school and at weekends, sending me to prison is like handing an open cheque to the Csa who seem to be above the law. Either option is damaging to my daughter and the contact she has with me.
    I know how people feel but lawless persecution of loving fathers doesn’t have any place in my Great Britain…so my advice is don’t let the Bastards grind you down.
    I’ll check back tomorrow and hopefully on Friday with the outcome. If anyone wishes for more details about my case. Feel free to ask ideally by tomorrow night.
    Oh, incidentally, I have my own data file and huge chunks of it have been deleted with a Black Marker pen…it’s not very often I have ever seen something crossed out and coloured in so thoroughly!
    Paul

  • andy smith says:

    after spending the last few hours surfin csa related troubles.(they are ruining me at the moment with a 40% doe ) i have realised that i am not the only one wasting their time trying to deal with these people and the organisation they work for…now then …what type of knot do i need…………………….

  • Paul says:

    The outcome following my last post was:

    The CSA were successful in persuading Leeds magistrates in Court 15 that my punishment for their failure to agree or so much as respond to my offer of a D/D payment, despite their miscalculation of maintainence – which didn’t take into account that I had shared care of my daughter 14 days out of every 28 days during 2006/2007 was to incarcerate me for 42 days at HMP Armley. I served 40 and was awarded a 2 day early release.

    This is the first time in 3 years I have failed to collect my daughter from her school or spend allocated weekends with her.

    I can only compare the CSA case team with Fascists and Nazi’s. I personally remain unphased and will continue to be a reliable, supportive and loving dad to my daughter who will always be my pride and joy.

  • Mo says:

    My husband has two children from a previous marriage and two children with me. Because our income is so low we haven’t had to pay maintainence but the ex wife has reapplied under the new system and turns out we will have to pay just short of £50 per week.. We barely have enough to live on at the moment let alone pay that kind of money but apparantly rent etc is not taken into account. The issue is not paying for the children because if we had the money we would. The ex can afford to go out every weekend and go on four holidays per year so the two children are not poverty striken but my children will be once the CSA have bled us dry. CSA stopping child poverty eh!! But who’s going to help me because we can’t afford to live

  • brian says:

    hello on the 27th april 2009 to august 17th i was laid of from work i told the csa about my change of circumstances they told me i must tell my employer to send confirmation that im on short time work i was working 1 wk on 2 wks of i was claiming job seekers i do believe that when u on jobseekers u pay £5 out of it to the csa now am bk full time work again its good till i got a letter from csa its bad enough with the ecconmic downturn but when i got this letter from csa im arreas over £400 i phoned csa up about it 2 times the first time i phoned they said they will do a account breakdown then tell me the next day i phoned they said its my fault for not making sure that my work told them i was on short time the csa blames me so i have to pay the full amount out of jobseekers money its not rite at all that they can do this as the csa paperwork states you only pay £5 out jsa dont get me wrong i dont object to paying for my kids but i have to survive myself to out of pocket again due to csa messing up this is defo going on watch dog and the papers

  • migally says:

    I have just had a doe order put on my wage for my daughter to a previous marrage. I am re marryed wih a three year old son, My weekly wage is £320 after tax now its £180 thats £100 to pay my sons nursary, And £70 rent. My wife earns £600 per month. We do not have enough money to buy food or petrol to get to work i treyd talking to them and they wouldnt budge, They just told me to get the payments reduced i would have to pay a lump sum and we dont have any money put aside to do this. So i went to my mp and they just got back to me today to say the csa were not going to reduce the payments and they only thing my mp could do now was to write a letter of complaint and that could take up to 4 more weeks. I have gone on the sick at work something i have never done and there tension with my wife. Its just unbearable and depressing and dont know where to turn.

  • michael says:

    been intresting reading on this site. i have read a few comments about quitting jobs and signing on…..?? would it not be better to go self employed either by asking your employer to give you work under sub contract or find ya own work..
    you pay less n.i and the csa find it hard to track people down… i know for a fact they track people down by the payments made on n.i contributions……
    my marriage broke down over 12 years ago and i was paying the csa £320 p.cm even though the now ex wife was working….anyway eventually me and ex wife got along again and she said to me one weekend — why dont i pay anything towards my kids ???? me chin fell on floor.. i said i was paying £320 and had been for the past 5 years……so cutting to the end of story she never received a penny of the money i was giving the csa for my kids….upon contacting the csa about this they said she was claiming benefits and it was deducted from that ??? she was working full time and was not entitled to any benefits…. she then wrote a letter into csa stating that we were sorting our own arrangments out. we both received letters saying the case was closed and everything was hunky dorey so they say…. only it wasnt still 7 years on neither me nor my ex wife have seen any of that money that was paid to them for my kids… the best advice i can give is either go self employed or pay your ex partner directly…the old way was best where you went to court at least you stood infron of a real person..these days were ruled by computers..and the sad fact is the computer is only as good the the daft sod putting the information in…………

  • graham nicol says:

    I have also been dealing with the csa for the past 15 years it has been a cockup from the very start. I was also re assesed 2 years ago then informed i have not been paying enough so i have incurred arrears. So they now pickup nearly 40% of my monthly earnings form my employer. i do not mind paying for my child but i do have a problem being bled dry all my life by a squad of incompetent moneyhungry fools i have also been intouch with my local mp and the scottish priminister they were also a serious dissapointment. its like farting against thunder.once they get their hooks in the decent life you should have is over .my advice is leave the country if you can

  • james miles says:

    hi i am james i to have had a run in with c.s.a, they seem to have a one dimenstional logic, based in the 1990 when britain was boom boom boom, their internet lives have not caught up, with 21st century logic the rest of us are govern by, because we live in the real world, away from the internet, an see things first hand, an not through rules an regulations, that was not fit for purpose,in the 20th century, but o an behold, in the 21st century c.s.a is writing cheques to child proverty with one hand, while the other is writing legisalistion for adult deprovation for the rest of the u.k, it is as if, ” Let the state take the strain” e.g the debt place on absent fathers who have no money no life no access, what i an every father must be asking,” show me the money” because this is what the state is borrowing against, an logic tells you, this can not go on before, banks say the same, “show me the money” an “i am not the caseworker ” is not the answer.

  • richard kelly says:

    All this is very worrying, but one thing i dont get is why are some people paying 40% of wages for one child ??

  • michael jarvis says:

    Hi im mike age 60,i have had trouble with the csa for 10 years,i was paying £380 a month for 1 child when i was working full time,i left my job in 2001 and worked p/time upto 2010 paying what i could,never missed a payment,im now paying £80 a month for arrears over the last few years from my private pension as im not working,had a enforcement letter last week they are taking me to court for £8035.09 in arrears owing,yesterday i had a summons to attend court,so i phoned them and said that im paing £20 a week from my pension which out of that i got to pay rent/food/tax/car/ lots more and should not pay this much,she said after the court i will have to pay more,bull shit, i signed a agreement with them to pay £80 month by d/debit on the 28/01/2010 nothing have changed my end,i cant afford the petrol to go to court so i hope the court will see this agreement i have, csa are w,,,,,, i bet every one have a shed full of letters, i will let you know what they will do in august.regards mike

  • Phil says:

    Hi all. im 36 years young and have gone through the CSA poo for years just a few years left. I feel bad for all that have to deal with them. You will never beat them and there ridiculous rules. I think they are legal criminals. Anyway best way to get through is like i have. Ive just sat on my back side spongeing of the goverment for 12 years haha. No way im working for csa cause her mum dont work so the kid dont get the money the goverment do. well up yours 2 the goverment and thanks for the endless giros housing benefit and council tax hahahahaha . when i want a beer my good m8s lookafter me. If you work i think your a fool

  • lorraine williams says:

    if you had paid wen told u would not be in the shit yr in now arseholes

  • graeme says:

    What a nice comment from Lorraine Williams there. Such a delightful way of expressing her feelings.

    Ms Williams I take it you aRe one of those uneducated, money grabbing, lazy, useless benefit grabbing, dole queue hanger on who is to lazy and uneducated to go and find yourself a decent paid job to support, no doubt a very large brood of children, all from different fathers, type person who uses and abuses the benefit system and the CSA for your own personal gain ?

    Does your child benefit, child tax credits, cm money fund your antics on your weekend binge drinking sprees with your mates whilst denying your children the proper care, food, clothes and support that they so desperately need?

    Thought so.. now please crawl back into the hole that you came from.

  • mike says:

    well said graeme

  • suz says:

    Well said graeme and lorraine which rock did you crawl out from under? It’s women like you that give second families like mine (and other absent fathers) the hell we go through! My husband and I already pay through the nose to his money grabbing ex like you so nicely suggest we should and yet still there are some selfifh, self centered, lazy, bone idol assholes that never seem to get enough!! We have been paying MORE than recommended by the poxy CSA yet they are still writting to us demanding over £4500 in arrears. The stress this agency cause are unbelievable and should not be allowed. It very nearly caused seperation between my husband and myself but thankfully we came to our senses and are taking this threat for action as exactly what it is, a threat.
    I feel for each and everyone of you on here, some stories are quite horific and very painful, and lorraine, get a life!!

  • John says:

    Am In A Similar Position I Do Pay Mine Every Week Standing Order,
    But CSA Wanting A Lot More Now. Back Dated To 2006.
    So Now Thousands In Debt, Basicly Told Them To Stuff It Theres No More.

    How Ever There Is A Good Sulution Which Am Contemplating But It Will Make Me A Criminal.
    Pack In Your Job In My Line Of Business There Plenty Cash In Hand Jobs Going Around. Move House, Change Your Name, Close Bank Accounts, Take One Of Them Jobs, Don’t Claim Benefits Better Off All Round Just Disapear Off There Radar. Become A Non Tax Payer. Thats My Solution.

  • Can anyone tell me the telephone number for the appeal dept in Blackpool please. I have been told that I cannot have contact them direct and that all phone calls must be through the Falkirk office but I just wanted to contact the dept that originally contacted me.

  • fletchyboy says:

    My employer has been taking money from my wages every week but my ex girl isnt recieving them i have my pay slips prooving its been taken from me. I dont know what to do about this. When i ask my employer he says hes paying it but csc say they dont recieve anything,
    One thing i find strange is when i ask csa how much he is behind everyone i speak to gives me differing figures and i dont mean give or take £20 more like 100-20. So i asked for a statement wich i recieved the 4th time of asking and sure enougth theres alot of arears.
    does anyone have any suggestions on what i can or shud do please?

  • Jinty says:

    My Partner was in court today for the 3rd time over alleged arrears of nearly 7,000. This amount includes maintenance for his oldest son going back 4 years. He has been living with us for over 5 years??? None of his 3 boys now lives with the mother as she has kicked them all when they are 16 or younger. We have always sent money down to them whenever we had it but because it was cash have no proof. The youngest boy (16) has now been living with us for 3 months. Today the Sheriff instructed the CSA Lawyer to give my Partner a note of what was going to happen. On a scrap of paper she wrote :Answers within 6 weeks of today. 14 days for the ADJ thereafter. Evidential Hearing 23/1/12″
    Anyone know what this is supposed to mean?

  • GameOver says:

    Hi all, reading the comments on this and other boards it seems like we’re all agreed that the CSA are a bunch of incompetent dictators but lets face it, they’ve got us over a barrel. The law is unfortunately on their side and they use it and abuse it to try to extort money from us.
    In my opinion we can either get mad about the injustice of it all, or get even. Getting mad doesn’t seem to get us anywhere except stressed, so getting even seems like the best option, why put ourselves through unnecessary stress?
    Take a deep breath and attack the problem calmly and quietly with reasoned logic, it’s not an insurmountable problem, and despite courts being biased in favour of the CSA they still have to *appear* to be impartial and reasonable in their pursuit of payment.
    Good luck, and stay cool!

  • Nustin francis says:

    Fuck the csa I hope their lives fuck up.and all the fucking kids grow up retarded..what a bunch of fucking corrupted bastards.fuck them all.in fact well.cant get to chopsy.bastards

  • Gold says:

    I do sympathise with some of you on here, however the CSA should only be used in the first place, when an amicable agreement between the parents cannot be met in the first instance. Did any of you try to reach a decision and stick to it in the first place?!

    Im having problems with the CSA for different reasons. My ex husband walked out and left me and my disabled child. I DO WORK full time to try and make ends meet and beleive me, ‘the benefits’ us Mums receive do not top up the income by much. My ex is raking in his full time wage and a HM Forces pension which is more than double what I take home and I receive sweet FA. Why?! Because web pages like these don’t just help those in need, it helps people swindle the system too.

    He goes from job to job so the CSA cant take the money from his pay and because he receives a pension he is classed as being on state benefits. If all else fails he quits his job for a bit (as someone mentioned on here to do)

    If you have children, you are responsible for paying for them. The £200 I am meant to receive does not even come close to what my boy costs me on a monthly basis, and his father only sees him twice a month.

    So although the CSA have been harsh with some of you, I think you need to see the other sides of the story. And your right, they will make up their minds when the children are older and a lot of the children will wonder ‘why did my Dad not want to contribute towards my life’?!

  • adam jewitt says:

    It been 6 years since csa started at 60 pounds a fortnight and now is 120 pound a fortnight as well as pay for where i an liveing all becouse my ex girlfriend lied to them saying i never payed anything. Ive had to sell everything i own and work lots of hours for money i dont ever see i carnt move out and have no money to do anything. I wanted to spend that money on my kids i carnt aford to xmas and bday gifts csa need to be destroyed.

  • Neil says:

    Reading through this blog I see a lot of similarities. I split with my partner in 2004. When she claimed housing benefit the benefits office automatically informed the CSA even though I was paying my ex direct. The CSA the put an attachment of earnings against me. I just left them to it and paid through my work. I was then off work sick for 50 weeks, I informed the CSA of this and also notified them that I had got back with my ex partner. I heard nothing until July 2005 when they said I had arrears…… news to me as I was living back with my ex. We informed the CSA again and they said they would close the case…… but obviously they decided they couldn’t be bothered.
    In 2007 I again split with my ex and we set up an arrangement, I was paying this every month to her in cash or direct into her bank account (got receipts for all the payments made). In 2008 I received a letter from the CSA saying I owed them £7,000, after a very brief conversation with them they told me that the case was reopened as my ex had contacted them. I found out many months later that after we told them we were back together she phoned them as said we were still separated, what made it worse is all the money I had given her for rent, bills etc she had been putting into a saving account…..NICE.
    I have spent countless hours trying to sort this out, I’ve had bailiffs knocking at my door, I have appealed the decision twice to be turned down on both occasions due to the case being over 90 days old, I have been taken to court for failing to give employment information even though it was sent to the CSA via recorded delivery (still have the receipts).
    I’m at the point of giving up. I have my children every weekend, I take them on holiday every year and still the CSA chase. They now say I owe £12,000 and are now taking me to court to send me to prison for 6 weeks or take my driving licence away for up to 2 years. I’m self employed so need my car for work. I wish someone at the CSA would just listen, my payments are still being worked out from my job back in 2005 and unfortunately I don’t earn that amount anymore.
    The CSA have said if I pay £540 per month then they will drop the case…..great…..if I had that spare each month.
    Sent the CSA a Freedom of Information Order today so hope that will come back with some information I can use to take the CSA to court……. doubt it though…… I live in hope.
    Thanks all for listening to my not so little rant.
    Cheers All

  • Mike says:

    When I got divorced I stupidly gave my ex-all the proceeds of the house sale and took on a lot of joint debt in the form of a loan and credit cards because I did not want my son to suffer. I also agreed to pay regular amount of child support for my son.
    As time went on the ex went to the CSA and when I told them I had an arrangement and was keeping to it the CSA said that my ex apparently was not happy with the amount. So much for any agreements!

    I was sure the CSA would take into account my generosity as per above, but they were not interested. As a result I was eventually in debt with CSA payments by the time they did their assessment and had a DEO put on my wages when I protested!

    In the long term I had to default on both the loan and credit cards as the CSA do not take these into account and I did not have enough income to pay all.

    I gave in after a few years after trying to get a better paid job to keep everything afloat (which just increased the CSA payments) and nearly having a breakdown. I walked out of my job and sold everything I had and paid the arrears up. Then I got a lower paid job locally and was deemed “Nil assessed” under the old system as I had 4 children to look after in my new relationship. The old case was then closed. I thought this was as my ex-had remarried and was well off.

    2 years later I got a call at work from the CSA telling me that a new CSA case under the new rules had been started 2 years earlier and I was now over £2300 in debt again! The upshot is that the CSA purported that I had told them that someone from the CSA had called me 2 years earlier on a specific day to tell me that there was a new case. Which they had not. They also stated that I said that someone had filled out a finance form over the phone! A likely story! Would anyone spend hours filling in a long form on the phone? Not me.

    My DP file revealed no communication with myself at the stated date or for the whole time after the old case was closed. But the CSA ignored this and got a DEO.

    At my appeal to get the effective date amended the CSA told the tribunal judge that they could provide evidence that they had written to me “if asked”. (The proper procedures meant that if the CSA had written to me at an appropriate address that was the date the assessments would start.) The judge said that was good enough for him and found against me. When I protested that I wanted to see the CSA evidence the judge said “Why would an employee of Her Majesty’s CSA lie?”

    I appealed to the Higher Tribunal but that was thrown out due to “No Law”. I ask you. If there is no evidence then the CSA committed perjury themselves in court in order to backdate a claim which is against the law If I did then I would be in prison.

    I wrote several times to the CSA and asked verbally several times to see the evidence but to now avail. Not even a response. I contacted 2 MPs and they got no further.

    I was referred to ICE. Independent Case Examiner. After many months they investigated and concluded that there was no evidence of any communication as I said, but they were not able to do anything about it because of the Tribunal decision. The CSA ignored the ICE findings.

    For a while I gave up as the DEO was regularly taking money and I worked out that after 41/2 years I should be free again. The CSA stopped the DEO after 41/2 years and told my employers that the debt was all paid. Celebration. Beer all around! Son was out of education and working his own by then. Everyone was happy. That was 2009.

    A year later the CSA started a DEO on my wages again. They said I still owed £1200 and they had made a mistake in stopping the DEO! I protested and someone from Falkirk accounts apologised and stopped the DEO saying the CSA owed me £54 but not to expect it anytime soon.

    I was relieved. But a year later I came home to a letter to appear in magistrates court for a liability order! I went and defended myself with the above evidence and the Magistrates ordered the CSA to produce the evidence and come back to sort it out by Sept. 2012 finally. I agreed that if they could produce the evidence I would pay the debt.

    Then I found that the CSA had withdrawn the court case! I was not sure if that meant that I had won or not! Knowing how the CSA work they will just start another DEO or go to another court.

    Meantime a complaints officer of the CSA recently could not find the evidence for my local MP. The officer asked his CSA superiors to reconsider the effective date but they said they were not able to because of the Tribunal decision. Catch 22. My MP had a meeting with a top CSA official and asked them if they could reconsider. Nope. Tribunal was final decision.

    I paid for some legal help online and was told to write in a “Formal Letter” to appeal the effective date. When the appeal came up it was deemed to be “out of time” as the case was 13 months earlier. But the Judge, a local solicitor, seemed to be of the opinion that I had won the case at the Magistrates court and to let sleeping dogs lie as far as the effective date. (He obviously does not know the CSA)
    My legal beagle said he did not know that I had already had the effective date hearing and suggested that I write to the CSA and ask under the Freedom of Information Act for the specific section where these purported phone calls were made.
    He told me that I would stand no chance at all if I were to try to sue the CSA as they are the government and I would be laughed at. He also said that the ICE findings have no weight either and that they were created as somewhere for MPs to forward CSA problems.

    The writer above is right when he says the CSA rep. is like a Hitler. Mine argued with the Judge who seemed to be on my side for once!

    So I wait to see what happens next. It has been 9 years of fighting. I get knocked down but I keep getting up again bruised and battered and poorer.

    My next letter will be to the Ombudsman but I do not hold much faith as the CSA rep. I met at the court is an ex-assistant to the Ombudsman and he tells me I would have no joy there!

    If anyone has any suggestions please let me know. Thank you (sorry it is so long)
    Mike

  • Lisa says:

    Mike sounds like you have had a shit time these last few years, join our support group on facebook csa ripoffs, we now know how to fight back amd slowly but surely a lot of nrp are having payments being reduced and errors and massive maladministration being shown through out, we have all said we need to get a public enquiry into the workings of the csa, one day it will happen, but until then we keep the nasty staff busy sorting out the mistakes caused by the idiots who work there

  • steve says:

    hi, i need help, im due in court on 14th dec for arrears of over £20,000, there is a story to all this, my first son is now 21 and i had a written agreement to pay my ex wife £50 per week back in 1998, i have paid this in cash to her untill my son was 16, i also have another possibility of a son to another woman, but im dispututing this as she had an affair whilst pregnant, im not on the birth certificate, i re married a few years ago when i had a letter from csa saying i owed this large amount, i rang them and said i disputed the amount as i had already paid directly to my first wife, in the meantime my second marriage started going pear shaped, i can only presume that my current wife started keeping all csa letters from me, she even had me in court for assault on 2 accounts which in was found not guitly of, she stated that she would make my life hell, with deaths of young ones in my family and the break up of another marriage the csa was the last thing on my mind, now im in court very soon and they want to put me in prison, if this happens i will lose my flat i rent and my job as i drive for a living, can anyone help me as im not sure what to do but worried to bits, thanks, steve

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