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CSA never told me I had two years to pay back arrears

March 7, 2013

I have been dealing with the CSA since may last year, after finding my wages short, i contacted my payroll department, who told me that a attachment of earning had been put in place of £147 a fortnight, i then contacted to CSA regarding this and was told that they had been trying to contact me for sometime, i told them that i had not received any correspondence from them at all, i asked if the payments could be reduced due to the money i had coming in £498 a fortnight and had to pay rent, council tax, bills and food as well as bus fare to see my daughter every week.

They said no i had to pay what they wanted and how i have to live was not their concern, just getting money for my child, which i understood but not at the expense of my daughter not being able to see her dad, due to having no money, £147 a fortnight is £294 a month so basically monthly i was left with £700 to pay £450 a month rent and £105 a month council tax, plus bills and food, the basics, in the end i had to give up my flat and move in with my partner, which i feel was not ready for that stage of our relationship, but forced into it, or see me on the streets, i thought that i would have to give up work, just to live.

I have recently found out, due to a conversation that my partner has had with a CSA advisor that you have up to two years to pay back arrears, which is something i was not told even when they were told i would be facing hardship, and have tried to deny in another recent telephone conversation, but shocked that she had been told the two year arrears pay back, but wasn’t denied in another conversation, which i find strange that i was not informed that there was help available, i paid £2058 in seven months before arrears were paid off, a considerable amount of money for someone on low wage.

John Wood

Written by John W0403 · Filed Under CSA Complaints 

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Comments

  • wilf says:
    March 7, 2013 at 9:34 am

    John:- Unfortunately this means the arrears has to be paid back “within” the two year period, it is not the time allowed.
    The instructions say the arrears must be paid back as quickly as possible.
    They can collect at a rate of either 30% or 40% of your net income including the regular maintenance.
    It looks as though they used the 30% figure in your case effectively double the regular maintenance amount.

  • Maddy says:
    March 8, 2013 at 1:40 pm

    Dont worry about the arrears…..my ex was told he only had two years to pay off the HUGE debt he had occured….that was 3 years ago now….he paid a bit, but has stopped again. CSA talk crap!!!!!!!

  • wilf says:
    March 9, 2013 at 5:06 pm

    Maddy:- I wonder how much of that bit you would have received without the CSA.
    As they talk such “crap” I am surprised you do not cease your involvement with them and close your case.
    Everybody knows a private arrangement is preferable.

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