CSA is ‘Not Fit For Purpose’

9 thoughts on “CSA is ‘Not Fit For Purpose’”

1. Hi Keiron,

   Just a quick heads up on this issue, if you made the CSA aware that you were job less and IRO from the date it happened, they should be able to backdate any change that needs carrying out, however if you didnt make the agency aware that you were made redundant at the time it happened and instead you told them after your arrears figure came thru they will NOT back date the change as it is your own responcibility to inform them of any change, it does state this at the end of every letter. Even if someone for some reason checked the benefit system and noticed you were on benefits they would not be allowed to do anything about as the employees of the CSA can not “instigate a change”, that is the responsibility of the client.

   Hope this helps.

2. Agree completely

3. Hi All,

   Just to quickly clarify…The CSA were informed on 4 separate occassions of my redundancy (all in writing) I even informed them 1 month before as I already knew my final date of work.

   I have now had a breakdown from the CSA, and the arrears are supposedly for the period that I disputed last time, only this time it is double!! This is after they sent me a letter of apology for their mistake, and that the matter was closed…..

   They are now denying they ever sent the letter!! which I have faxed them a copy of!!

   Their response is that even if they have given me misleading or false information, I am liable, and that the letter they sent has been dismissed as false.

   I have already got my MP involved again – so will hopefully get a swift response/conclusion….

4. Hi Keiron,

   I have been through the same as you with the CSA and they have now got an earnings deduction with my employer! The CSA were supposed to come back to me before doing this, but did it without my knowledge.

   Anyway, the reason for my email is to suggest that you keep on top of the situation and if you have the time call them everyday and find out where they are up to, give them as much hassle as they have given you……..what I would also say is during one of my last conversations with the CSA, I was told by a very helpful young lady (which makes a change for the CSA), that the 40% deduction will only be applied in certain circumstances and they CANNOT enforce this if you can prove to them you will not have enough to live and commute to work. She also told me that the amount payable (if you are in arrears) needs to negotiated and not dictated (as I was previously told).

   I get the impression that the problem is they hear the same story everyday and are ‘programmed’ to issue threats to frighten you to pay and use heavy handed tactics.

   I personally stood up to the CSA and told them that I would make the payments, but taking 40% of my salary would NOT leave me enough to live off ; on one occasion I was told tough, so I put the phone down and rang again and that is when I started the conversation with a well constructed complaint and told them, if they wanted me to resign my position and pay the £5 a week from my benefit. I told the CSA I would do it or I may even go self employed and really make them have to work to get any funds from me (not that I object to paying for my son, but I was not prepared to be TOLD by the CSA what I could and could not afford).

   Long story short, they reviewed their stance (including having me arrested and interviewed for not providing information), cancelled all actions and came to a sensible solution.

   Without sounding condescending, you just need to take a tough stance and tell the CSA what you can afford BEFORE they make the earnings order.

   I hope this helps!

5. Hi Lee,

   I understand fully where you are coming from.

   I have always paid for my children & always will, however I won’t be told that I owe arrears for a period when I was already paying 25% of my salary! (I have all the bank statements etc to prove it too!) The CSA are saying I didn’t pay the right amount by their calculations? how ?

   My payslips show my salary income, and my bank statements show the 25% payments for maintenance, yet they say this isn’t proof!! and want more money off me!

   It just shows that they are bullying those that already pay, into paying out more to cover those that don’t……

   I won’t ever pay a penny more than I have to, to the CSA. Thankfully I have recorded everything to do with the CSA since I started contact with them, so I am in a position to show that they have had ALL relevant information at the appropriate time, yet they have chosen to ignore it or convieniently lost it!!

   I am taking a tough stance though, even if it has had me labelled as Non-Compliant!

   I am formulating a list of all their errors, misleading information & lies on my case into a file currently, along with a description of the Breaches in Government regulations against each. This is to hopefully pull together a Maladministration/Official Error case against them. My MP has already said that he will back this action for me. He also states that I am only 1 of many of his constituents fighting the CSA currently (both NRP’s & PWC’s) for their Misleading Lies.

   I just hope for a good outcome in the end.

   Cheers for all the support.

6. Hi,

   I just wanted to say that I feel so sorry for all you people who are paying child maintenance whilst systematically being screwed by the CSA. My partner is just like you: being told he has arrears where there are none. A few months ago the CSA took £1000 from his pay leaving him with £500 – clearly this is illegal. We told them they acted illegally and so they returned a couple of hundred to him. I really want to know why good hearted non-resident parents are treated this way; it is simply beyong belief. Everything that everyone has written has similarly happened to my partner, its so sad that the CSA are destroying your lives.

   Keep fighting for your rights!

7. the 1st reply steve i think
   spoken like a true csa worker only only only in this so called organisation are you guilty till proven innocent .

8. Jac, when the CSA’s performance statistics are embarrassing and the press use headlines such as “Kids owed £100m by parents”, the CSA will be out to get money by any means they can. It is far easier to misuse powers and target those with a proven track record of paying, then perceive to be recovering more money for children and abolishing child poverty.

9. Isn’t it about time that a large group of those who have paid and do pay, got together employed a top Barrister and challenged the whole system on the basis of discrimination and unfairness.

   The arguement being that. £40 million has been written off in Noerthern Ireland as uncollectable! 3.5 Billion still remains uncollected in the UK since CSA inception.

   How can it be that those who pay are repeatedly targetted and those who don’t pay and who have never paid are ‘let off’.

   If this isn’t discrimination, bias and unfairness, I don’t know what is?

   Thsi should be tested in the Supreme court!