CSA mistakes and fighting back
I have been dealing with the CSA for about 15 months now. Their mistakes, errors, confusion are endless. Anyway I want to encourage you all to fight (verbally / legally) back.
I had a provisional assessment against myself but after bitterly complaining and providing evidence (which they lost) I managed to get this reduced by £10pw. Up until the CSA were involed I was paying support directly to PWC (getting receipts on CSA advice). She didn’t like this and asked the CSA to collect payments directly. The CSA issued a DOE.
The CSA assumed the order would be carried out by my employer’s payroll but it wasn’t. So I ended up in arrears. When they contacted me, I made it very very clear, its their DOE, they administer it and its nothing to do with me if it doesn’t get paid. They seemed to accept this concept after I repeated it several time to different staff. Anyway I agreed to repay an immediate part payment with the outstanding balance recovered over 4 months (not that I could get out of this, but they certainly knew it was THEIR MISTAKE). CSA sends me a repayment schedule along a figure for the min. legal earnings I cannot fall below.
Christmas passes, money is taken out monthly via DOE and my bank balance is dwindling slowly and no sign of stabilisation. Checking my payslips (they are only on-line) I see that CSA has taken much more than they are entitled to and the amounts taken do NOT correspond at all with their schedule.
By this time I am livid, I have a £500 CC bill to pay and not enough money in my account. I talk to a “temp. team lead”, get nowhere, ask for their team lead, who is on holiday, ask for their manager and work my way up the hierarchy if I don’t get what I want, repeating the salient facts (several times to each person I speak to):
– CSA stole money from my account
– CSA committed 7 illegal deductions (deductions more than legally allowed)
– CSA is fully and solely responsible (don’t let them blame payrol or the banks)
– Mention taking CSA (Matt Hillin) to small claims court & informing the media,
– I want MY MONEY BACK TODAY.
They get the message I am serious about my money and no I will not wait a week for payment. They are told that if I were the PM/Home Secretary etc and asked for action it would be done straight away. Also informed them that Banks can perform money transfers SAME day so there is NO excuse.
Team manger says a senior manager (Elaine Basel) needs to approve the payment. TM to her credit calls me back saying they will pay back the money (they stole). I also ask to speak to who is responsible for authorisation of the payment. It turn out to be Elaine (no I don’t want to tell you my surname) Basel, who reports to Matt Hillin (Norther Area Operation Manager). I also demand the DOE be recinded.
Be hold a few days later (day before CC payment due) a large sum is transferred into my account.
Alast the screwups continue, another oversized deduction is taken from my pay. So it now 8 counts of take money without permission, and exceeding my min. pay entitlements.
Eventually Elaine B deems to agree to cancel the DOE and I agree to pay by DD as they can’t cope with Standing Orders.
I am still waiting for my money, but apparently its in the pipeline and will be paid in a few days time.
Some junior calls back offering a £50 compensation payment. I am naturally livid, and say Its not enough and no I don’t want it paid into my account. I have lodged an official complaint regarding their errors and gross incompetence with administering their DOE.
When on the phone ask for the persons name 9including surname).
If you feel you are not getting anywhere, ask to speak to their manager. If they say their line manager is out/ in a meeting, just ask to speak to their senior manager and so on until you ask to speak to Matt Hillin. If they say he’s out of the office, ask them to call him on his mobile number (all senior manager have one). Don’t take no for an answer. If senior managers are not available, then they should be sacked as they are not doing their job!
The latter excuse “my manager is in a meeting”, and then asking to speak to their manager’s mangager ending in a long pause and the manage cutting her “meeting” short to speak to me. She then fiddled with her terminal and I asked her politely if she knew how to use the system – point made!
Threaten taking one of the executive board to court (Small claims is a good starting point) and media exposure. This seems to help them to help you.
4 thoughts on “CSA mistakes and fighting back”
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why is c s a taking money out of my bank and wages
The CSA are great. They make no allowances for the cots of rasing the children that are resident with you, irrespective of the financial status iof the claimant.
My ex has consistently broken the law in regards of a parental responsibility agreement awarded in 2002. She took the children out of the UK without my consent in 2005, giving myself and the children’s grandparents less than 24hrs notice. She gave no forwarding address or contact details resulting in a complete breakdown of relations between myself and my children. She has now decided to move back to the UK and make a claim for support. She has just sold her own business in Majorca for a sizable profit, has a 5 bed house in Colchester rented out for £1200pcm which is mortgage free. She is now renting a 5 bed house complete with sauna and jacuzzi.
When i mention this to the CAS i am told it would make no difference if she were a multi millionaire you would still have to pay even if it has significant impact on the lives of your other children. I said that i would no longer be able to pay my mortgage, Barry replies that a mortgage is a luxury and i should sell up and rent a cheaper house. Barry also claims the CSA is above the UK courts.
Brilliant, a system set up to benefit the welfare of children is actually casuing more harm to the stability of families across the UK. Driving people out of work and out of their minds. How many more will take their lives in despair before some one will realize there is something worng with this system?
were do i start i payed my x direct for years when we got on and she told me she would tell the csa i had shared care and paid her direct , then 2 years ago she stopped my access because i asked for proof i was paying her , so i put the money in my daughters account weekly as her mother has accass to it . in 2 years iv paid solicitors £5.500 up to now just to get access to my 8 year old who is disabled .
at the beggining of december the csa sent me a bill for £21000 , when i phoned it took me 40 mins before i could explain my situation and im paying direct and solicitors, i was told that i had to pay no matter what ??
then i was told the woman dealing with my case was out and would phone me when she came in the office
no phone call came then on the 5th of jan i got a bailiffs letter demanding £5.500 witch i dont have !!! laugh or cry i dont know what to do . the realy annoying thing is i have nothing wile my x who is claming ever benifit has 2 hourses a new 4×4 ect ect .
what can i say they cant have what i not got !!
It beggars belief that Matt Hillin was awarded an OBE in 2008 for public and voluntary services.