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1. misterp
   Member
   
   

   Hi,

   I'm a 'NRP' and have been making payments to the CSA for a little over 10 years now. Long story short, but I'm on the old scheme, have been screwed over in terms of what the CSA take from me, and even though they messed up big time on my case I have a DOE order with payments coming direct from my salary.

   Luckily enough the amount I'm paying has become more managable over the years but now with my current wife we're expecting our first child together.

   I'm wondering if the arrival of our new child will mean there's a chance in lowering my current CSA payments what with the lower amount of disposable income in my household. Only thing is, I'm now earning more than £10,000 more (pa) than I was when the CSA did their last evaluation.

   Is it worth getting in touch with the CSA to see if the change in circumstances could mean lower payments, or would I simply be stirring up a hornets nest by contacting them?

   Any advice / help would be much appreciated.

   Posted 1 year ago #

2. ianm
   Member
   
   

   Hi misterp,

   I too was subject to the old scheme (CSA1) when my second son (with my now ex-wife) was born.I was paying £360 a month (& this as back in 1996!!) for my first son from a previous relationship & when I informed the CSA of the arrival of my second son they carried out a new assessment.I had also had a couple of salary increases since the initial assessment & despite the arrival of my second son,the payments actually increased!!
   My point is quite simply this - if you are still subject to the old scheme you can bet your bottom Dollar that they will be in no great hurry to switch you to the new scheme & even if they did,it wouldn't make an awful lot of difference because of the 'phasing in' period (your ex would gradually receive a little less - & I do mean little - money ove a 5 year period to allow her to 'become accustomed' to receiving less money.In the meantime they will still be tearing you a new one because there will be no immediate impact on your salary deductions.
   As I mentioned earlier,I am divorced from the mother of my second child & I am still liable for two children so the battle with these wankers is still very much continuing - like every other responsible NRP on this site I don't begrudge contributing towards their upbringing one iota but the CSA have cost me thousands in fabricated arrears (I have been paying via a DEO for years & still the arrears keep appearing as if by magic!!).
   So,a thought for anyone reading this post who is still being assessed on the old scheme & who have a new family to take care of: "What if you were to split from your current partner for a while & went to stay with a relative for a couple of months,then you & your partner decided to get back together after your case had been re-assessed? (for this to happen,your current partner would have to put in a claim during the 'split').
   Answer? Simple - because the assessment would have to be considered a new claim,you would automatically be assessed under the new scheme which would considerably reduce your liability as your case would have now moved to CSA2.
   Whilst I am neither condemning nor condoning this idea,I can assure you that it works (my Sister did this with her husband who had been paying on the old scheme for years for 2 kids).THE SYSTEM PLAYS YOU SO WHY NOT RETURN THE FAVOUR?

   Posted 1 year ago #

3. misterp
   Member
   
   

   Thanks ianm - you've more or less confirmed my thinking that if I stir the hornets nest, I'll end up getting clobbered for even more money.

   I had seen that to get moved to CSA2 that I'd need to split from my wife and have her make a claim. No doubt there are people who have bent the rules this way and to be honest I'd be tempted to do the same. Like you say, the system plays you so why not return the favour.

   Overall the CSA were an absolute nightmare for the first 6 or 7 years. It took them a year to calculate my liability which meant I was then a year in arrears, they believed my ex's lies about her having no income, and then proceeded to hammer me in their assessment. They then decided that my questions over payment methods (over the space of 2 weeks) was taking too long and so got my employer involved. I've been on an attachment of earnings order ever since.

   I love my son to bits and luckily still see him regularly, and I'd do anything to provide for him. But basically paying the mortgage of my ex through stupidly high CSA payments (they're that high) well that's just not on.

   Posted 1 year ago #

4. ianm
   Member
   
   

   I know exactly where you're coming from!! My ex (the first one) lied through her back teeth about her finances & even when we made a private agreement she failed to tell them for a year - consequently I was hit with 12 months arrears & had to prove that the agreement was in place.Naively,I hadn't approached a solicitor to draw up a formal agreement & was still hit with the 'balance' between the amount I had been paying & the 'shortfall' deemed to be in arrears.It just seems that so many of us are being shafted for being honest so what's the point? My marriage to the mother of my second son completely broke down as a direct result of the constant pressure being applied by this greedy,lying,incompetent system.
   It's ironic that I am now on CSA2 because of the breakdown of my marriage & I am paying LESS for two children than I was for one - this in no way compensates for not being able to kiss my boy every morning & wave him off to school.In fact,like myself,he's completely heartbroken - how on earth can the CSA be claiming to operate for the 'benefit' of children?
   Whoever works for these automatons must get through an awful lot of Horlicks at night . . . . . .

   Posted 1 year ago #

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