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CSA advice forum » Child Support Agency

1. dbully
   Member
   
   

   Hi all,

   Hope someone out there has some good advice for me, I received a letter from the CSA last week saying I owed 24k+ in arrears, seems when I told them I no longer was earning back in May 2004 they continued with my assessment of 308 per month.
   My ex recently split with her partner so claimed benefits prompting the CSA to look for me, I have been in employment for 18 months so will owe arrears which is fine, but not to the tune of 24k!
   After a long 30min+ conversation with a very unhelpful employee of the CSA where I tried to reason, I requested a direct debit form to arrange a payment, 5 days later I have been hit with a DOE for 600 per month which is 40% of my net income.
   This obviously leaves me with inadequate monies to pay my basic bills.

   My issues are:

   I informed the call taker the assessment was wrong, they even confirmed with my employer in Sep 2004 that I had no income from the company.

   I agreed I need to pay on the phone but was asking for them to take an affordable amount until the could re-assess my case and see the 308 per month is incorrect.

   Since my partner split with her ex in April this year she is now living with a new partner but without our daughter (CSA seem to ignore this fact) who stays with me or my partners ex as she is to occupied with her new partner.

   As the deduction will leave me short on rent, bills etc, I will have no other choice but to leave my employment and end my uni degree which im now half way through so as to pay basic bills and not get my family evicted from our current home.

   I have no idea what to do next as by the way my last conversation went last week they are not interested in anything other than taking the full amount as quickly as possible, If I didn't know any better I would have been lead to believe these guys are on commission!

   Any help or advice would be great as it would seem I need to contact my landlord in the next few days to tell him we cannot meet the rent payments!

   Posted 2 years ago #

2. mr.pink
   Member
   
   

   Don't communicate with the CSA by phone-always write,this gives you a sound record of events. Never accept a call, ask them to put it in writing.
   Try to limit/cap your exposure and write again to the CSA to inform them of periods of unemployment and that the current assessment should be cancelled from (specify a date)because your ex is no longer the PWC and therefore not entitled to the money- that will at least stop arrears accruing from the present. It is encumbent on both parties to inform the CSA of change in circumstances, something your ex appears not to have done.
   Head your letter "Appeal" ,stating you are unhappy with their calcs and ask for your case to be reviewed. Ask them to produce a schedule of what is due against what has been collected, you can easily see if this is correct.
   I believe the deduction of 40% of nett is correct as the max that can be deducted.
   Never complete a Direct Debit Mandate-this allows the CSA to take what they like from your account. Send payments by cheque.
   Is your degree Distance Learning or do you receive more than 12 hours lectures a week-I've seen dispensations for students somewhere but need to research to find out if applicable in your case.
   If you had your daughter living with you full time, you could complete a Claim Form so that your ex pays you.
   Also write to the Independent Case Examiner in Chester with an outline of your case and include copies of as much corresondence as you have. They will write back and advise that they have to give the CSA an opportunity to review your case before they can take it up. In reality is speeds up the process of the CSA looking at your case. Best of luck.

   Posted 2 years ago #

3. mr.pink
   Member
   
   

   Check out CSL 303,p14 with regards a 'nil' assessment for students. It may not help with arrears but if you didn't work, you may not have to give up Uni.

   Posted 2 years ago #

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