CSA collection of arrears

April 18, 2012

As most of you will be aware Csa have an elaborate law they repetitiously abide by . In October 2008 they changed the way they calculated the way in which maintenance was paid. i.e csa would not pay the state all monies collected and would there by be paid to the Parent with care.

However in February 2009 i was contacted with arrears and maintenance to pay. This it self not a problem i was told i had £12500 arrears on the case and as of august 2009 i would pay £30 per child and £30 arrears and £35 phasing as i had to go on to the new system due to a new child being on the case. At £60 Maintenance and £30 arrears and £35 phasing i now pay 524.16 per calender month. at £9360 maintenance and 12500 pound of arrears equalling £21860 over a 36 month period. I have currently paid approx £20000+ yet when i phone i still some how have arrears on the case of £7500 this is apparently down to phasing.the phasing amount applied to the case is for the initial payment of £72 per week dropping to £30 per week by there assessment in total over the initial 5 years there phasing will cost £9100 making my payments to them a total of £31449.60 plus the initial £3068 equalling £34,517.60 in 5 years thats not bad for one working parent with care that that receives £115 per month and the other receiving £260 per month. and the state receiving £149.16 per month arrears.

Oh i forgot to mention the first year of payments were never paid to one mother with care and she will not receive the phasing payments as of August this year so a grand total of 3 years phasing is not actually being paid as i am being charged meaning the state will receive £17960 of the £34,517.60 not that bad for 2 years income support and 3 years Jsa payment they made? O i forgot that’s right she wasn’t on Jsa she was her husbands carer as he suffers from schizophrenia on his benefit claim. In total the state are taking over half of what i am paying making have a total of a nice £5000 profit on money they have already used and declared belonging to the tax payer. In total proving that the CSA is nothing more than a stealth taxation unit to punish working class people after we pay a collective taxation to pay benefits (not my fault she couldn’t be bothered getting a job!) Also I notice how i see both my children at weekends yet find it extremely difficult to afford to take them anywhere due to the financial straints they put on myself by taking money that has already been declared as used by the government.

No-one minds paying for there children if they see them and my advice to anyone that is in a new break up situation your childs quality of life with both parents should be your first priority I urge you to go to a solicitor put in a formal agreement for maintenance payments that is recorded via bank transactions (avoiding CSA) and maybe that way you might be able to take your child for a nice day out maybe even a holiday if your lucky to give the parent with care a break. If you do go to the CSA be aware you have just give up the right to what i have just said. P.S. Can I also point out that its normally the job centre/benefit agency that start the claim not the parent with care.

Comments

  • Carol says:

    Did you ever question the amount of arrears actually due to see if they have assessed you correctly? MY partner got a letter stating £39,000 arrears but it is all incorrect and we have only found out by obtaining a copy of his file to see what information the CSA actually hold. It could also be worthwhile asking for a statement breakdown.

    You are completely right though that it is much better in everyone’s interests if separated couples can come to a private agreement as opposed to this useless Agency being involved. All they do is cripple 2nd families to the point of separation

  • Pamela says:

    Hi Snoopy, I agree with a lot of what you say until your last paragraph. Children need providing for whether the NRP sees the child or not. In my case their dad saw his girls when it suited him and I never stopped him at all, in fact tried everything to get him to visit them. He on the other hand did not provide for them consistently and has done everything in his power to avoid paying. So your comment that ‘….no-one minds paying for their child if they see them…’ I find offensive. I need the support financially for my girls but they need the emotional support too, I’m left providing for them and explaining, the best I can, why their dad has nothing to do with them.

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