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CSA Advice

Can my ex husband really get away with paying nothing for 11 years?

Hi everyone,

I made a claim with the CSA 11 years ago. I called them numerous times informing them of my ex’s new employers and addresses etc but never heard anything back from them so I assumed that they were unable to trace him. Today, 11 years down the line, I managed to find out his new address, employers and phone numbers. I rang the CSA and they said that they had closed my case years ago, I asked if he could give me a reason why and he checked then said there wasn’t a reason why. He sais as far as he could see, I was doing my part by informing them of his wherabouts but there was no reason as to why hey closed it. They made me start a new claim today. Is there a way I can dispute them to re-open the old case? As far as I am concerned, I have raised my Son for the last 13 years and have struggled a lot financially. If they just go off the new claim then my ex gets away with 11 years of paying absolutely nothing for him.

Thanks in advance for your help 🙂

14 thoughts on “Can my ex husband really get away with paying nothing for 11 years?

  1. Unless you asked them to closed it the claim should never have been closed. I had a situation where I opened it as my ex threatened to stop paying me because i wouldnt have him back he didnt stop the arrangement we had between us at the time and it was about 6 years ago. When I called them in 2011 they could see the claim had just been left dormant…i would call them back up and get a second opinion. Also what I did was I copied my MP in on my letters and she got me a case worker instead of the call centres I got through to each time I ring up….If you start a new claim from today im not sure what that does about the years you want to be included. Go to the CAB and they might be able to give you proper advice the CSA unless you give them the leads they will not follow anything up, if you have a good MP they will speak to someone and get you a case worker and once you have one of these they are your port of call not just someone on the end of the phone. I am going through hell too so i really hope what i have said helps you. take care there are a lot of nasty people on this site that will call you all sorts of nasty names as i have experienced.

  2. Is your ex self employed? Get a copy of your file from the Agency. It costs £10 and you can find out exactly what the Agency has done. Your case sounds alot like mine, give information but they probably haven’t acted on it. I found that out once I got my file. I then closed my case because it was just ridiculous. Once you have that information you can then lodge a complaint letter. Don’t be fobbed off with the Agency either, keep fighting all the time. Did they ever put an assessment in place? You can potentially be entitled to compensation here from the Agency for maladaministration.

    The only thing I would say re. your last comment about it being a financial struggle is I thought that aswell when I was a single parent. Bringing kids up on your own is not easy at all but now that I live with an nrp that is when yuo know how hard life is!! CSA are deducting 40% of his salary for so called arrears and there is no consideration whatsoever given to me or my 2 children.

  3. Louise 1980:- You need to ask them to revise the closure date.
    There should be a reason why it was closed either on the computer in their notepad section or in the paperwork.
    It might have been closed, if you were not on benefits, because there was no contact from you.
    Ask them to recall your file, so they can give you a reason why it was closed.
    If they will not revise it you can appeal the decision.
    You should have received a letter stating reason and date of closure.
    If this was not issued to you it was incorrectly closed.
    Your case was on CS1 therefore you should have a reference number which you will need to quote.
    Payments will only be backdated to the last time you called them.
    You will not get 11years worth unless a maintenance amount was in place.

  4. Thank you for all your advice 🙂 wilf- I will definately give them another call today and see where I stand, Thankyou!

    To those of you that ask why I would want to ruin my Sons Fathers life? Starve him? Haha! Pleeasseee..

    His Father has participated in trying to ruin my Sons life by denying him financial security for 11 years, but instead lives the single life of drinking himself to a stupour every single weekend and going on numerous boys holidays 2/4 times a year, all at the grand age 0f 40!

    It’s what you call your RESPONSIBILITIES ladies and gents! Children are not cheap to raise, so why the hell should the Father’s get the easy end of the stick whilst we struggle along raising their children as well as pay our bills.

    The slob has had it easy for 11 years whilst I have raised his Son, and never paid a penny! Oh hang on a minute, he gave me 20 pounds 10 years ago to put towards some school uniform for him…And I got that thrown in my face for years afterwards..lol

    Time to pay up matey!

    Thanks again all 🙂 xxxx

  5. @ Louise 🙂 hell hath no fury like a woman scorned :-)… I sincerely hope the CSA help you and make him pay up… it’s NRP’s like your ex who give all NRP’s a bad name…

    It is absolutely appauling that any parent should feel that they don’t have to contribute to their childs upbringing but for some reason the CSA seem to let them get away with it because it usually take up too much of their time and resource to find the absent father!! unless of course he/she is on PAYE then he/she is a sitting duck…

    To be fair, most of the NRP’s on this site are decent people who want to support their kids but the CSA usually abuse their power and invent arrears and harass them…

    Please keep us updated as it would be nice to know that the CSA have managed to help someone who genuinely needs it!!

  6. Good luck and join the facebook groups child support agencies failing and others but be careful of some who are just bullies. For advice and support. Good luck.

  7. i AGREE WITH THE LADY. MY HUSNAD AND I SEPARATED WHEN MY SON WAS 14. mY HUSBAND GAVE UP WORK TO BECOME A STUDENT SO HE DIDNT HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE TO HIS UBRINGING. I WAS TOLD BY THE CSA AT THE TIME THAT I WAS ENTITLED TO £5 A WEEK FROM HIS BENEFIT, SOMETHING I DIDNT RECEIVE. I WAS THEN TOLD BY THE CSA THAT WHEN HE GOES BACK INTO THE WORKPLACE HE WOULD BE PICKED UP BY THE SYSTEM AND PAY THE MONEY OWED. NEEDLESS TO SAY NOTHING. AS FOR A WOMAN SCORNED THAT IS NOT THE CASE. MY SON WAS ENTITKLED TO THAT MONEY. I FORTUNATELY WAS ABLE TO WORK AND HAVE GIVEN MY SOMN EVERYTHING HE HAS EVER WANTED. I STARTED A SHARE SCHEME FOR WHEN HE WAS 17 TO ENABLE ME TO BUY HIM A CAR AND INSURE IT. mY EX HUSBAND EVEN WANTED HALF OF THAT MONEY. HOW CAN A PARENT DO THAT. HOWEVER, MY SON IS ALMOST 24 AND I CALLED THE CSA TO SEE IF WE COULD CLAIM ANY OF THE MONEY THAT BELONGS TO HIM AND LIKE THE PREVIOUS COMMENT THE CASE WAS CLOSED. I NEVER ASKED FOR IT TO BE CLOSED AND BECAUSE I NO LONGER RECEIVE CHILD BEBNEFIT I CANNOT MAKE A CLAIM. THEREFORE MY EX HUSBAND HAS BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND UNI AND BETTER HIMSELF AT MY SONS EXPENSE. THE ONE SAVING GRACE IS I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF MY SON GROWING UP WITH ME WATHCING HIM TURN INTO A FINE YOUNG MAN. THAT CREDIT GOES TO ME AND MY FAMILY. UNFORTUNATELY FOR MY EX HUSBAND HE HAS HIS CONSCIENCE TO TORMENT HIM AND HARSH AS IT SOUNDS I’M GLAD.

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