£13.9 million owed to CSA in Wearside and East Durham

April 24, 2008

A staggering 5,100 non residents parents across the Wearside and East Durham area owe the child support agency £13.9 million in child maintenance.

A spokesman for the child support agency, Richard Percy, who is a legal enforcement manager, said:

This is about children who are not being provided for.

The CSA’s focus on enforcement and its determination to use the powers available to recover the debt owed.

Unfortunately, there are some parents who go to great lengths to avoid paying what they owe for their children and this is unacceptable.

Children are being brought up at a disadvantage and are not going to have the same comforts as their friends whose parents do accept their responsibilities and who do provide for them.

They will not have as many luxuries such as treats, clothes and holidays.

Of course he fails to mention all of the non resident parents who are being charged too much or have had to quit their jobs because they can’t afford to work. He also mentioned how the CSA profits from the money raised. He also doesn’t mention all of the parents who have agreements to pay between themselves, but because the CSA aren’t getting their cut; they class them as not having paid.

Richard Percy went on to say:

It’s important to remember that this isn’t about securing money for the CSA, but about recovering money for those children who are owed it.

Yeah right mate, not about securing money for CSA. Sure thing pal.

This debt isn’t going to go away.

We are not denying that in the past the agency has not always delivered the service expected of it but If non resident parents think they can ignore their responsibilities and that we are never going to get in touch they are wrong.

Not always delivered the service expected? That’s an understatement.

If non resident parents have problems or are struggling to pay, they cannot ignore it, they should get in touch with the agency as soon as possible to discuss their situation and how they will pay the money back.

They have tried getting in touch. They have all tried getting in touch. It doesn’t work. You threaten them with bailiffs, court summons, deduction of earnings orders etc.

It is making non-resident parents realise they must pay for their children. The message is that if you don’t pay the agency, the agency is going to do something about it.

Ah, yes. Right on cue. The threats.

We will use all the enforcement powers at our disposal to recover the debt that is owed to children.

It doesn’t go to the children though does it? These people live in their own special world where they’re always in the right. You cannot appeal to the CSA because it is all dealt with internally. Only by exposing them publicly can you raise awareness of their injustices.

Comments

  • Steve Harris says:

    I have never avoided my payments to the CSA and paid my debt to them 4 years ago. After 2 1/2 years I disposed of my paperwork. BIG MISTAKE!!!. They reopened my account with a deferred(?) payment of £420. I complained, it went up to £1,012, I complained again and it went up to £2,000, I complained again and it went to £4,000. I wrote to the ICE who got it reduced, but the fact remains if I don’t pay it, I get a DOE. I’m being forced to pay my maintenence again because of absent parents. I have the figures to prove I owe nothing but it’s like a dumb man shouting for help. No response. You can only complain to their system and they just turn up new figures out of their fantastical imaginings. It’s about time someone political or famous was stung then you’d see some change

  • Kev Blythe says:

    These people / government agency provide no service to anyone.
    They bang on all the time about getting children out of poverty – it is never mentioned because of their rigid incompetence how many fathers ( they seem not to chase mothers) they have forced / pushed not to work.

  • Brian says:

    COMPLETELY AGREE Michael!!

    10000% THE CSA destroy lives and beat fathers..men are driven into poverty!

    It’s war…

  • chall says:

    Richard Percy also omitted to mention what percentage of cases are based on default maintenance decisions, which can be financially corrected at a later date, either up or down OR if any was actually owed by deceased NRP’s which the agency are unable to collect.

    Not all NRP’s are victims of the system. Some simply refuse to contribute towards their children, regardless of whether the CSA are involved OR not.

    The agency did not pass CS Acts or Legislation, parliament did, and they have strengthened CMECs enforcement powers.
    Parents, NRP’s & PWC, need to lobby their MP’s for change if they consider the system fails them. In the meantime, you are ultimately responsible for your own case, it’s in your own best interests to be proactive with your case and ensure there’s no unnecessary delays or errors – Don’t be nieve, be choosy who’s advice you take, if it’s based on anything other than CS Acts/Legislation and it goes wrong, you’ll be the one living with the consequences…

    chall ~ afairercsaforall

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