BBC Radio 4 looking for people to speak about the CSA

March 16, 2012

NACSA has been contacted today by BBC radio four, they are looking for case studies/stories relating to cases that have had their regular maniainance reduced or stopped, due to an overpayment being made to them. Please see the request below:

“BBC radio is looking for people who may have been overpaid by the Child Support Agency through no fault of their own. Is the CSA trying to claw back money from you or has it suspended maintenance payments? If this applies to you and you’d like to talk about it, email Paul Waters at [email protected]

If you could arrnage to contact Paul direct as per the details above with your stories.

Thank you

Comments

  • KMcQ80 says:

    ‘BBC radio is looking for people who may have been overpaid by the Child Support Agency ‘…….
    Definition:-
    They are not looking for NRPs who have been overcharged or their payments miscalculated.
    They are look for PWC who have been overpaid…
    I’m sure there will be plenty of PWCs who want to give they ill-gotten gains back.

    Come on Paul Waters, the REAL story is about NRPs who are overcharged, have payments miscalculated, receive demands for fictitious arrears etc.

    The media has a duty to report this (enormous?)side of the CSA.

  • Carol says:

    I’m e-mailing him anyway as in our case the PWC can potentially be overpaid £23,000 unless this shambolic Agency get their finger out their *** and get it sorted!!

  • Fluffernutter says:

    KMcQ80 There is no ‘REAL story’. There are LOTS of stories!

    I for one, am happy to see that someone is looking into cases of overpayment. This post isn’t about fathers overpaying. It’s about the CSA mismanaging and miscalculating, and now causing further hardship to struggling families by demanding that overpaid money is returned. The father of my son has managed to get a nil assessment on the grounds of not working but living off his partner. I feel sure he felt justified in clawing back the £5 a week he was paying towards his 12 year old son. As far as I’m concerned he’s welcome to it. Maybe it helps him keep his to keep his Porsche on the road! I am however particularly unimpressed with being hounded by the CSA to repay the £125 they overpaid me because they failed to take action when he notified them of this change of circumstances. I was not told that maintenance payments had been stopped and the money has understandably been spent.

    The CSA is a shambles and it fails our children on every level. The truth is that, with the introduction of charges we will all now be paying for the privilege of being shafted! It’s time now to put our differences aside and use every opportunity presented to us to get these miscarriages of justice into the public eye.

  • John says:

    My email.

    I have had 12 years of experience of the CSA, as both a parent with care and a non resident parent. I have always paid what they asked of me as a non resident parent. However, as a parent with care, it took the CSA 2 years to obtain money from the non resident parent for the child that is living with me. I have been treated worse than a criminal! between 2000 and 2005 the CSA made 15 mistakes with my case 5 of which were deemed serious by investigation of the Independent case Examiner (ICE). I was promised a better service. It’s worse than ever!

    The CSA have persistenetly made errors with me case, where I involved my M.P. who wrote a letter ( I have the copy) condeming the CSA and referred my case to the Parliamentary Ombudsman (PHSO) re maladministration. The PHSO ‘whitewashed’ my complaints. as if the CSA had acted within their guidelines.

    In 2009 I wrote to the CSA informing them that my payments should reduce, as one non resident child had attained the age of 19 years. I received a ‘bombshell’ of a letter in reply. The CSA had made yet more errors with my case and dumped £6,400 worth of debt on to me. They then placed a deduction order on my income and are currently plundering £280 per month from me!

    This system is shambolic. There are people over-paying, people under-paying and people not paying at all. £3.8 billion remains uncollected, whilst the CSA staff continually target those who pay. There is a three tier system CSA1, CSA2 and CSA3, where people are paying at different levels. This is discriminatory and I believe it may breach human rights!

    Maria Miller has recently written off £300 million as uncollectable. How can this be fair on the ones who do pay?

    The current system should be scrapped in favour of mediation at the benefits office with both parents present, but not necessarily in the same room. Where a clarification of benefits being paid and earnings of the non resident parent can be disclosed, to reach a fair and reasonable settlement, agreeable by both parents.

    As it is non resident parents are being criminalised by a shambolic system and incompetent civil servants!

    Regards

    NB. However, as with the other organisations, Radio 4 will probably use the ‘Common purpose’ card!

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