Had to move house to pay the CSA

November 30, 2012

For the past three years i have been paying csa for 4 children, and when this started they also wanted £12,500 arrears on top of the normal csa payments.

I contested the arrears, and they said that i should have been paying csa for two to three years before hand, which i was not informed of or even had any contact from the csa. So now found myself having to pay £171 normal monthly payments, which i have no issue with, but then £171 on top for the arrears, as a result of the huge drop in wages which the csa had placed a wages order on me for.

I contacted the csa to say that we where in danger of losing our home as a result of the amount they where taking from our income, only to be told that it was not there consern, that they are a priority debt, so me and my family had to move into a smaller affordable property as we could`nt manage the rent on our property.

5 months down the line, my wife had to go bankruped, and we lost the new property dispite contacting the csa several times to inform them that we where in danger of losing our home. In the end, me, my pregnant wife and our 2yr old son where homeless, placed in a emergency B&B with drug addicts and alcoholics. We where assigned a family support worker and social services were involved as our son was at risk due to having no stable abode. We where humilliated and ashamed, the csa were fully aware of what was going on with us, but it was important for them to continue to take the level of money from me as it was vital to the welfare of the children i was paying for in the case. When asking them if they cared about the child and unborn childs welfare that lived with me and my wife, i was told it was not there concern!

Through-out this period of time my wife wasnt working due to ill health and was un-employed. Mine was the only income, which was reduced due to the wages order to £519 per month, working tax credits and child benefit for one child was all we had. The tax credit was based on my full earnings as they wont take into account the lose to the csa which was about £9.34 per week, now 12 months down the line we are close to losing our home yet again, and with two children, unable to claim housing or council tax benefit because again they dont take into the lose of earning thanks to the csa.

What can i do, i see no-way out, riddled with guilt and dragging my new family through the gutter, i can see why some individuals have taken there own lives,as im going out of my mind with stress,i cant understand how the csa can get away with destroying my family.

Comments

  • stuart says:

    complain stating maladministration as you were not informed of arrears, ask for a copy of all data from them, will cost you a tenner but worth it. do all in writing and keep copies, if you call them insist it is recorded, write to your MP, you can do this vis e-mail, if no luck witht he CSA complain to ICE, it takes time but after 10 horrible years they did agree that the arrears they imposed on me, were no fault of my own and wrote them off, it is a battle but keep hounding them and demanding that they have to investigate your complaint.

    Good Luck

  • chall says:

    lee,

    Have you already obtained your Data Protection file and a complete account break down?

    A case with the CSA commences once the agency have contacted the non resident parent (this is the effective date). This could either be by telephone or in writing, to a confident address.
    You state you had no earlier communication with the CSA. You initially need to find out, when and how the agency consider they have made contact with you.

    If the CSA can consider the initial contact set the effect date and you had not supplied them with the info they required to make an assessment, your case may subjected to an Interim Maintenance Assessment – if so, it may be possible to have this converted to a proper assessment, if you provide the required info. You should be aware that although the conversion could decrease liability for the period, it could also increase such.

    Once the above have been confirmed, then you will need to establish if arrears are correct and look for any errors.

    chall ~ afairercsaforall

  • >