Apparently the CSA comes first

June 20, 2014

My experience with the csa. To cut a long story short, I had a good job, a wonderful partner for 9 years and I was seeing my children regularly buying them things they needed, presents taking them out, supporting them, then 3 years ago and 2 weeks before Christmas they put an attachment of earnings order on me to deduct 40% of my salary.

I struggled to pay my rent, bills went unpaid I lived 100 miles from my children so could no longer pay for fuel to see them regularly. I eventually lost my home and then my job again because I traveled a lot for work could not afford the fuel.

I disputed the amount they claimed I owed in arrears to no avail. I’ve paid then over £14,000 back and they still say I owe them money. I told them they were preventing me from being a parent and unbelievably in their words they said the “csa comes first”.

Now I am homeless without a job, my partner has left me because she couldn’t take the pressure of the hardship the csa has left us in. My ex wife has 2 homes, one she rents out for profit, a good job and foreign holidays every year. She claims for my daughter even though she works and doesn’t live with her mother.

I now have nothing. Well done csa. Someone has to stop the heartache and destruction they do to already sad and stressful situations. They have contributed to ruining my family, how can this be right?

Comments

  • Andrew Green says:

    Hi Becca, thank you for your comments and if you mean CSA rip off on FB yep I joined. Since I’ve been researching this and taken legal advice I’ve realised what an unfair bullying and dare I say lying Government department this is. My solicitor told me she has advised many fathers who have had their lives turned upside down by the CSA, people who cared for their children with perfectly reasonable arrangements have lost their homes, businesses, jobs some have had to return to live with there parents – middle aged men we’re talking about! My issue is that the CSA have claimed retrospective arrears for a period before they even contacted me and have on 3 occasions when I’d virtually paid the claimed arrears increased the amount without giving me any detail on how they arrive at their figures. I almost believe they think of any old number, double it and say that’ll do, also there’s no means testing so people who are already financial stretched cant cope with 40% of their salary suddenly disappearing. I recalculated how much they have taken and its more than £16,500 in 3 years now they’ve pushed me out of work. Can’t believe this is being allowed to happen to people.

  • melanie parton says:

    yep i was told csa comes first as i deal wiv hubbys case stuff we cant pay our bills wvenbtold us to sell my kids stuff nbtv so we didnt have to buy a licence to free up mire money fir them….thiscwas by a manager andrew hutchinson at durham house

  • Andrew Green says:

    Nathan, thanks for your comment. There are many many families being let down by the single minded pursuit of money from loving and caring NRP’s by this seriously out of control department. Child support?? Should be renamed the Family Disruption Agency.

  • Andrew Green says:

    Melanie, I can only hope the PM would consider the consequences of this departments actions on families, I’m sure there will be instances and stories where they have helped parents but from the information I’ve seen they do far far more harm than good. In my case my children have not benefited and have actually been made worse off. Maybe we should start a formal campaign? Good luck with your case.

  • Andrew Green says:

    Melanie, thank you for confirming that they said the same thing to you because I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! A civil servant working for an agency purposed to support potentially vulnerable children was basically saying, and I make no bones about this, forget the children, we’re not bothered about your relationship with your children or that we are taking away your ability to directly support them. We will take your money without any form of means testing or negotiation and at some point in time will forward some of this money to the RP. I know this because my ex wife didn’t receive any money from the CSA for months after they had taken the money from my salary. Everyone loses except the CSA. There is a serious debt crisis for many families in this country and a percentage of these cases have been directly caused by the CSA but the media seem to avoid bringing the issue to the wider public arena. This should be reviewed at the highest level.
    Good luck with your case.

  • jo says:

    Andrew, why doesn’t the pwc close the case and come to a mutual agreement?

    Ultimately it’s the pwcs who get the csa involved in the first place so blame lies with them if it goes pete tong.

  • Iruler08 says:

    I feel for you!! I was taken to court even though I’d paid thousands to my kids invested in a fund for my eldest daughter and when I pointed this out the CSA stated in transcript of a phone conversation that my contributions were ” pocket money”!! I was convicted of fraud for not filling out a form the way they liked but do I have regrets?? NO. I stood my ground and my children who are older but also wiser know the facts, I don’t care what the state thinks and Cameron et al will say what sounds good for votes. The sound bites include “Absent Fathers” “Non resident Parent” etc!! There are just too many politicians sitting on their fat assess doing nothing and let’s be honest, women can do many things but they are not fathers and cannot be male role models hence we have a generation of single families with children with no moral values and no respect for elders and/or their peers. When you hear a 10 year old telling his or her mother to F Off then something is seriously wrong!! 3 simple rules apply with the CSA, 1. Do not take calls all communications must be in writing 2. Challenge any of their claims as many are red herrings 3. Do not be afraid to go to court even if you have to represent yourself. The more fathers who stand up and are counted the more the system will be clogged up and politicians may then start to listen. I am a proud father and the state and it’s buffoons will not take away my dignity!!! Join the stand at the end of the day what do you have to lose that you haven’t already, as I say just retain your dignity!!! Good luck for the future.

  • Andrew Green says:

    Iruler08 – Great comment and I wholeheartedly agree with everything you say. The more stories I read the more dumbfounded I am about this ridiculous and shameful agency, honestly. You sound like a responsible, decent and intelligent father, another father doing the best he can for his children who has been, dare I say, demonised by the state. Unbelievable that time and resource has been spent convicting a man who obviously considers his children’s welfare and insulted by being told his efforts only amount to ‘pocket money’! Who do these people think they are! Hasn’t the notion that absent parents may need consideration and support occurred to anyone? I don’t necessarily mean financial support although personal circumstances should be taken in to account I’m referring to emotional consideration because I’m sure most absent parents are heartbroken their families are no longer together. Respect to you for standing up for yourself, how long and how many more stories of injustice has there got to be before something is done? Good luck for the future.

  • Andrew Green says:

    Just wondering, I watched a news item last night about the increasing problem of homelessness, how many absent parents have been made homeless by the ridiculous financial demands of the CSA? My solicitor told me she has dealt with ‘many’ cases where absent fathers have lost their homes due to action by the CSA not to mention jobs, businesses and new relationships. All this sanctioned by the very government that claims this is a serious social problem. Should we have a poll?

  • Iruler08 says:

    The issues of homelessness are correct, time to place a petition on Change.org!!!

  • >