csa dismiss benefit fraud!

September 26, 2009

my partner has happily paid the csa for his daughter ( aged 18) but now, after her working since April and leaving home! they still want money AND say they cant do anything regards the fact my partner’s ex has continued to claim benefits and child benefit for her! she finished college in february and we was told no more payments were expected, then the ex reclaims child benefit on the basis the daughter is going back to college, KNOWING that she was leaving home! its sucks and we cant seem to do a thing to bring this fraud to light!

Comments

  • chall says:

    If you suspect child benefit fraud, you should report this to the Child Benefit office.

    The CSA can also make checks with the college that your step daughter is supposably attending.

    There are also rules governing work and living arrangements within The Child Support Act – join us in the forum at http://www.afairercsaforall.co.uk

  • John says:

    Hi, I come across this type of problem a lot. I suggest that if the woman concerned is claiming Housing or Council Tax Benefits contact the Council for the area she lives in, ask to speak to the Fraud Unit, you can give information anonymously.
    For DWP benefits there is s National Hotline to report fraud.
    Child Benefit has been transfered to HM Tax and Revenue, they also have a hotline for reporting fraud.

  • Jason says:

    I too have been paying for my twins for one year after the liability should have ceased, they are both at Uni living away from home but not in residence. I can not prove that they no longer live with my ex wife!!! She still claims child benefit for them both on the pretence that they live at home.

  • Vic says:

    I too have a similar problem. CSA payments for my child should have ceased in September of this year as this is when his child benefit should have stopped. I contacted the CSA to let them know about this because contrary to belief they do not stop your CSA payments unless your ex partner informs them of this. Anyway back to my story. After about a six week wait i received a letter from the CSA that my child had started college then left and has gone back to school so i will have to keep on paying until he has left full time education or until his nineteenth birthday whichever comes first. Now the problem is that i am unfortunately not in contact with him as my ex partner moved away quite a few years ago not leaving a forwarding address. I would be very grateful if anyone could give me some advice as to whether the CSA would get any proof of education as she has been in trouble for Benefit fraud before and any ideas of how i can find out when he leaves. Many thanks in advance.

  • mr.pink says:

    Jason,
    You don’t have to prove where your children live as they are in University, which is further education whereas child support is only payable for kids in full time education.

    From the CSA web pages:-
    Child maintenance is payable all the time that Child Benefit is being paid and the child is:
    aged under 16; or
    under 19 and in full-time non-advanced education

    The definition of full time education is more than 12 hours a week of study on a course up to and including A level standard.

  • michelle says:

    my husband pays for is son which lives with us she claims child benifit and csa for him and says he lives with her and they beleave her which sinks we all so have a 4yr old which the csa dont beleave us all papers have been sent but who is she were she from how long has she lived with you my god thick or what
    well am sorry now were going to court and going to claim my money back from her and doing her for fraud people just cant getaway from doing these things socile services are with us on this one they got the date when he moved in with us .he at our doctors he with connetions at our address ha ha my god how do they thing they get away with it wish us look and ill let you all no how we got on

  • katy says:

    im confused now since the new law on csa came in april 2010. do you or not have to inform the income support agency that you getting money from csa, appaently no from what some peopl have said.

    regards

  • Anne says:

    My ex-daughter-in-law is claiming CSA from my son although the child she is claiming for is now living with her father. How can I inform the CSA of this fact?

  • jason 2 says:

    im glad im not on my own on this subject.! my son stopped his college course a year ago, i told my ex wife to let child benifit no as he was going on 18 at the time,so they would let the csa no,so then my payments would stop,like prop all of u i dont mind paying for our kids,is just the fact when my ex never has informed them and a year on im still having to pay csa.ive informed the csa but all i got told is that they need to be informed by child benifit that my ex as told them and stopped claiming for him,but she hasnt done this so i still pay csa. ive now been told that my son has started a jod paying tax ,so why am i still paying csa ,arnt these two departments conected some how?and im not talking a small some of money here too. ive even rang benifit fraud twice,each time i ring to see whats happing they are not allowed to tell me anything . why cant things be much easier for me to solve this can any one plesea advise thanks jason2

  • Mike G. says:

    Like Jason 2, my daughter left college in November of 2010 but my ex-wife has continued to claim Child Benefit for her despite the fact it is quite clearly fraudulent. I have reported it the National Benefits Fraud Hotline in writing but they are slow so nothing has happened yet. In the meantime, the CSA still want me to pay even though my daughter is now at work..! They claim that as long as my ex-wife receives Child Benefit then I have to pay maintenance. However, this is not true – speak to http://www.childsupportspecialists.co.uk , they have successfully contested many such cases as the CSA themselves don’t know the law on this hence their mistakes. I’ve got them working on my case and the CSA are now seeing the light.

  • billy says:

    How many more of the same. My ex calimed that my daughter was in college when she wasn’t , then my son the same. CSA do not want to know. I have reported to IRS , no joy.I am paying almost £800 a month ( 40% of my income ) in arrears and current payments for children now aged almost 18 (and about to become a father himself) and a daughter aged 21 next month. My MP is useless. All SOMONE has to do is check with the college as they will not give me the information. Any ideas on what else I can do , I am about to give up hope.

  • CLIVE says:

    you need to stop the CSA getting liability orders for the alleged debts . The DWP knows that benefit fraud with 16-18 year olds in and out of work and pretending to be at school is a problem .They refuse to chase it down because its generally less that £3500 which is the legal cost of chasing it through the courts . They never chase any benefit fraud unless it exceeds £4000 ,they write it off .The CSA use DWP EVIDENCE OF a payment and a claim as evidence of the NRPs liability because those fraudulent payments are being allowed to stand as legitimate the CSA can go to court and force you to pay them .We need to fill the ocurts with these cases being fought by the NRP to force a change in the way these people work .

  • Paul says:

    Like all of you, i am also a victim of child benefit fraud. My son left full time education in September, is now 18 and I am still paying full payments for him because she wont stop claiming. CSA won’t and can’t help unless I prove it, child benefit can’t help because I am not the one claiming the benefit. I have reported the fraud verbally and on line, with the DWP, and still nothing happens. It doesn’t seem to matter how much you complain or to who you report it to and if you can’t afford to go to court, what route do you have left, none??

  • Andrea says:

    We’re also a victim of child benefit fraud! My husband’s daughter hasn’t lived with her mother for over 2 years now after being taken into care. We approached the CSA to tell them that we were no longer liable to make payments to the CSA..but they said that as my husband’s ex was still receiving child benefit there was nothing that they could do. We’ve contacted Child Benefit several times, filled in ‘fraud forms’…everything you can think of and still nothing has come of it! It really makes my blood boil!

  • Sally says:

    Hi Paul and Andrea,

    I’m wondering if you have got any further since your posts above?

    My partner still has to pay his ex through the CSA as she claims the ‘child’ is still in college, however she isn’t! The CSA just tell him they will try and call her to find out if she is at college, and that he needs to report it to the DWP.

    So we have.. calls, online forms, letters.. yet nothing is being done!

    This also makes my blood boil – How are these people getting away with claiming benefits as well as child maintenance they aren’t entitled to!

    As well as not being in college the ‘child’ also works, technically I wouldn’t class this as a ‘child’!

    The CSA reassure my partner that they will stop the payments from the date the benefit office stop her payments, and that any over payments will have to be paid back by her…but having had experience of the CSA for several years I don’t hold out much hope of that happening.

    Would be good to hear what you are doing and if you have managed to get anywhere with this?

    Thanks!
    Sally

  • Michelle says:

    Slightly different situation for me. My ex has a new partner with a 5 year old child, in August she changed the address she receives his child benefit at to my ex’s, so he could reduce the amount of maintenance he pays for our daughter (this is the check the CSA has in place to validate financial responsibility for an additional child).

    He is now renovating his house, the work has been going on for almost 3 months so far and he’s probably claiming a council tax exemption for that. Meanwhile he’s staying with her in the property her ex is paying for – I suspect without declaring that to the council either, otherwise why did she change the address she receives child benefit to – they’re effectively residing together there, which would tick the responsibility for her child box.

    The way they’ve done it, he gets a council tax exemption and pays reduced maintenance, and she still gets a council tax discount for “living alone”.

    Only a relatively short term thing as I understand they will share the same main residence by the end of the year. But the CSA won’t overturn their decision to reduce maintenance payments in the interim as rhey’ve done their part to validate the information they’ve been given.

    Following up as a matter of principle (the CSA gave me a number for HMRC, and I’ll probably report it to the council their properties are in too), but not holding my breath!

  • lisa fisher says:

    My partner has paid csa for his son since he was 2 years old we thought it had finished last year but we received a letter saying the total amount owing was £50,000 the child is now 24 and in full time employment we pay £73 a week it cripples us is this right or should it have ended?

  • jo says:

    At lisa, that is a hell of alot in arrears if your partner has being paying csa and nothing mentioned until now.

    I would ask for a breakdown on how they justify the arrears and also see your mp. Csa are known for their mistakes and if you are struggling ask for a renogiation.

    Good luck

  • Lisa says:

    Your Name

    Your Address

    Your NI Number

    Your Contact number if App

    Dear Sir,

    I write this letter more in hope than in expectation but it is with some regret that I must complain about the actions, or rather inactions of the child support agency.

    I don’t actually expect any coherent response, but I felt I should go through what passes for the ‘proper channels’ before escalating the complaint further due to the CSA’s unrivalled incompetence,

    GO THROUGH ALL YOUR GRIEVANCES HERE, BULLET POINT THEM OR NUMBER THEM, TELL THEM HOW YOUR CHILDRENS LIVES HAVE BEEN SINCE THE CSA HAVE BEEN INVOLVED AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE PREVIOUS, IF YOU CAN REMEMBER OF COURSE, NAME YOUR CHILDREN, TELL THEM AS MUCH DETAIL AS POSSIBLE,

    GO THROUGH ALL THE ARTICLES OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR KIDS AND COPY AND PASTE THE ONES RELEVANT TO YOU, ONCE YOU HAVE DONE THIS, LIKE ALWAYS SEND TO EVERYBODY IN THE EMAIL LIST WHICH I WILL SORT IN A MIN AND DONT FORGET TO COPY YOUR MP INTO IT, KEEP YOUR MP UPTO DATE WITH ALL YOUR FINDINGS.

    GIVE THEM 15 WORKING DAYS TO RESPOND OR THREATEN TO TAKE IT FURTHER AND ESCULATE HIGHER UP.

    Yours sincerely

    Your Name

    This is your template, add in all whats happened, how many kids you have living with you, dont forget national insurance number, this is so important, number your complaints,

    Your MP

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    Send to all of the above, cc them all into one email, i know its hard, but this is the simplest way i can make it for you, then you also need to ask for hubbys data file, heres how

    ■Then the next thing you must do is order your data prints, you need to send the agency a £10 postal order made out to the Child Support Agency. Then you will send that with the pre written letter and address below. Please remember to add your details too.

    The Child Support Agency Data Protection Unit

    Room BP6002

    DWP Benton Park View

    Longbenton

    Newcastle upon Tyne

    NE98 1YX.

    Date NI number

    CSA Case Ref

    I am requesting you to send me the information to which I am entitled to under Section 7(1) of the Data Protection Act 1998.

    I request ALL computer and clerical records and recordings of telephone calls emails etc to which I am entitled, and would ask that the notepad sections of the computer files are dated.

    As you are aware you have 40 consecutive days upon receipt of my request to furnish me with the information I require.

    If you need further information from me, or a fee, please let me know as soon as possible.

    If you do not normally handle these requests for your organisation, please pass this letter to your Data Protection Officer or another appropriate official.

    Yours sincerely

    Always email, never ring them anymore, question everything about the amounts, its not your fault the ex claimed benefits, do they give a discount of 15, 20 or 25% for your children who live with you, if not why not, try and cram all your complaints into the one email, if you cant keep hounding them, they will soon sit up and listen,

  • Please someone help i spoke to the child maintenance services on many occasions. Last spoke yesterday regarding my daughter who is now 19 years old. They have made my life hell these past few years . I was told on first phone call by a very unhelpful woman to ring back at lunchtime because no one starated work until then in the northern Ireland office to which I did . I got another woman to whom i questioned my maintenance about. .. I am on quite low earnings and have a detachments of earnings coming out every month this month gone up from £80 a month to a £ 156 on a figure which they were given totally wrong I asked for a child benefit check on my daughter she said she would get the case worker to do this after so many discussion on maintenance. I was told to ring back the next day. Was satisfied with that so rang again got the same lady to whom it spoke to previous she done a child benefit check and for two years child benefit has not been payed . So absolutely gobsmacked on this i am wanting to know how come I am still paying maintenance for the past two years when childbenefit has not been active. I have a case worker ringing me on this if not I will be ringing them on what they are doing with my case now I have been in contact with my local mp on this situation i am fuming with the whole system it breaks so many people who i know have as well had such bad dealingswith them i want answers now on all of this case with the child maintenance services

  • Jill Short says:

    Hi looking for advise my brothers ex is trying to claim csa for my 3 year old niece but my brother pays maintenance. Through his ggirlfriend bank every Monday he has my niece every fri to sun maybe more times during half terms weekends due to court order but she is claiming he does not have get at all any help would be appreciated x

  • Joel says:

    I am having similar issues, my eldest son has lived with me for the past 3 years. I keep informing them and either they don’t listen or she keeps lying to them either way it makes the claim fraudulent but here I am being threatened with prison and all sorts. Who is responsible for these people they are useless and must be abolished.

  • Mark Rhoden says:

    I can’t believe there’s nothing that can be done here.
    I was lied to regarding the paternity of a child and I payed for years, it took the threat of legal action and pressure from her family to get her to agree to a dna test.
    I new I wasn’t the child’s father and the mother new too but she kept it a secret purely for financial gain, she watched as I signed the birth certificate knowing I wasn’t that child father….that to me is disgusting.
    Benefit fraud, paternity fraud and there’s nothing we as victims of this can do.
    Is this justice is this how it goes, a government agency that is just happy somebody is paying regardless of if its the right person

  • Mark says:

    Taken Into care …?

  • Mark says:

    £50.000 AND HES PAID SINCE THE BEGINNING???
    THAT DOESN’T SOND RIGHT …

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