Cannot afford gas bill to pay the CSA

May 17, 2012

We are in total debt due to the CSA and barley have enough money left after rent and council tax to support our own children. The CSA told us our children are not their priority and that the abandoned child is. They do not consider individual cases and tie all cases of absent father with the same brush. My husband never abandoned his daughter he filled for a responsibility order and wanted her to live with us and our 3 children after her mother died of drug abuse. He was told to leave when his daughter was 2yrs old as his ex partner had moved a heroine addict into the house. He was unaware of the drug use at this stage.

He left with nothing only his own clothes. Left the car and £1000 cash for his daughter to see her through till he got settled. He met me and moved in. We had his daughter 5 times a week and he paid £40 a week to his ex.We then had 2 children together but still continued to pay and care for his daughter.When she died her grandparents wanted her to live there with them. We contested it and in a court of law they said that they wanted full responsibility for her and were finacially well off to look after a child with growing needs. Two years down the line without warning they made a claim for maintance throught the CSA. They stated that they did not need the money but wanted to do it out of principle.We have been plagued by council tax balliffs and debt collectors ever since the CSA got involved. All contact with his daughter who is now 17 was stopped by the grandparents because we challenged their CSA involvement.

We regulary go without gas of electric each week as we are on meters. We live off £20 a week food for 2 adults and 3 children due to the amount they take from my husbands wages for arrears. When is CSA going to be means tested for the claimant.

They live in luxury whilst we are forced into poverty. What we pay is pocket money to them but a lot of money to us. I feel plagued by the CSA and have even wanted to divorce my husband due to the fact that my innocent children have suffered so One can have more. It is wrong on every level and a very unfair system. !6 should also be the cut off age as we could end up paying until she is 20, way into her adult years. It totally disgust me.

Why is the sympathy always for the person with care. I really hope the CSA do start charging that way the money grabbing grandparents will give up holding there hands out and we can go about repairing the finacial and emotional damage the CSA has caused us and my children.

Comments

  • rach says:

    we are in the same position as you :(. the csa causes so much poverty for 2nd family children why cant the government see that they are causing so much poverty?

  • Vic says:

    I feel your pain. A system with unintended consequences for 2nd families run riot by target chasing jobs worths too stupid or too frightened to get proper jobs. I would not speak to my worst enemy the way that CSA staff routinely speak to people who are in harrowing circumstances. It’s like a funeral and the CSA staff turn up to murder the mourners with draconian policies and procedures that spit on any humanity.

  • Carol says:

    Totally agree with everyone here. 2nd families are treated terribly and it is disgusting that this Government allow this to happen.

    No-one is in disagreement that maintenance should be paid but it has to be a fairer system. You have the PWC getting benefits, maintenance etc. and 2nd families struggling to put food on the table. Where is the fairness in that? Really both incomes should be taken into account to make it much fairer.

  • Alice says:

    Child Support will end first week after 19th birthday.The exs daughter is 19 on October 8th and our CM stops 10th October(one month in arrears).www.nacsa .co.uk.Carol is correct in stating that 2nd famlies struggle,but there is light at the end of the tunnel,one day it comes to an end and the nightmare will be over.

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