Here what happened, any advice would be gratefully recieved.
In 2006 i started working and rang the CSA to tell them my change of circumstances,because i didnt want to get into arrears!LOL, they said they would send out forms asking for the information. I never recieved them. So i rang again, the CSA worker asked me the situation........ i was paying benefits rate through CSA, £21 a month, and paying direct maintanence £200 month, Plus 1 night a week shared care. He said to me that if both parents were happy with that arrangement it was ok to continue as we were, as the law now allowed that. LYING B**TARD!
NOV 2010, a letter arrives requesting my wage slips from 2006, because theyve just found out my circumstances have changed. I send them off and then get told i owe £11000 arrears. Apparrently i owe the secretary of state £8000, because the mother is on benefits, and the rest in arrears to the mother. They then say this has to be paid off within 2 years, with ongoing maintanence payments of £200, thats £597 month. Within 10 mins of being told this on the phone, i was threatened with legal action because i didnt want to give them my bank details there and then. No chance to consider an appeal or get legal advice, just, give us your bank details or we'll send the bailiffs round and recover the full debt in one go!
Because my ex is on benefits, she can only declare £10 a week in direct maintanence,I cant tell them she has had £200 or she has to pay it back.Whats the point in that? after all isnt this suppossed to benefit the child. so all that money i paid to her has been written off, and they have reduced the arrears by the £10 a week which took it down to £8000.
They have been considering my claim for 1 nights shared care, because i told them about this in 2006, to be backdated, but today they told me this has been declined. Surprise surprise! They say they only have record of one phone call in 2006......the one in which, they say i ignored their request for information and no other calls.
i have spoken to different case workers about this and they all give different answers, but my case worker is taking the hard line, by the book approach, She has every angle covered.
I cant afford to pay £597 a month.They say they dont take rent into account when calculating outgoings,thats my biggest out going by far.How can that be fare? Is there anyway to negotiate this these f***ing people?
Is it worth paying for legal advice or do i just have to bite the bullet and start paying?
Thanks in advance for any feedback