CSA doing nothing about my overpayments

March 30, 2010

My teenage sons left home two years ago to live with their father after living with me for 10 years while i tried – and mostly failed – to get financial support from him from the csa. He was a master at ignoring letters, appealing against decisions and avoiding paying for his children.

After experiencing life on the breadline with 2 young children I was determined to agree to whatever the CSA decided and agreed quite happily to having the money taken out of my salary each month. After about a year the CSA told me they had not been charging me for my elder son – who was over 18 but still at school – and would be applying an extra charge each month until this back pay was paid. They made it sound as if I had deliberately tried to avoid paying when it was their mistake for not reading my case properly.

I decided to pay this underpayment off in a lump sum – £1000 – as I dont like to be thought of as not paying my way and gave the CSA my debit card details to pay this over the phone.

Since then the CSA have ignored this adjustment to my account and continued to take extra money from my account as if I was still in arrears. I have phoned them on a monthly basis for a year now to try to get some agreement from them that my payments should be going down not up but each time I call I’m told my case will be dealt with in 4 – 6 weeks.

Before Xmas I was sent a new order agreeing that I had been over charged and stating what my new payments would be to claw this money back. The monthly payments vary between £250 and £350 a month. However, the money taken from my salary each month since then has varied between £450 and over £600. Each time I call to complain about the error I’m told someone will call me in 5 working days to discuss the matter. For 4 months now they haven’t!

I am now owed over £1500 and the irony is that my sons’ courses end in June and they will be returning to me to live then. The CSA has 3 months to reclaim my money from my ex. Will they do this and wind up our case before the children leave university – I doubt it!

Not sure what my point is-just wanted to get it off my chest. Anyone else got a similar problem?

Comments

  • Brokenfather says:

    Stop the Direct Debit immediately.

    Only pay them via a Standing Order.

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