CSA payments means our children are suffering

November 3, 2010

CSA are calculating how much me and my partner had to pay to my ex for one child. My partner has 2 children from a previous relationship and we have one on the way. I dont see how the csa can count child tax credits as a earning.

How can it be justified to take money from child tax credits (there to support “the child its being paid for”) to give to another child of whitch child tax credit is being paid for also?

Because we have more children dependant on us that we have to pay and care for, we have to pay more for the child not in our care?

I dont see paying child maintenance as a problem. The things i see as the problem is paying it from money being paid that we have to support the children in our care.

I completely understand taking it from work earnings and working tax credits. It’s like our to be household of 5 has to struggle because of this when my ex has the luxury of claiming benifits and not allowing me access!

Comments

  • chall says:

    Hi Matthew,

    When did your case commence with the agency?

    Cases that commenced on or after 03/03/03 are on CS2 rules. And a deduction is made for the child/ren that live in the same household s the NRP (15% for 1, 20% for 2 + 25% for 3 or more) prior to the calculation being made for the qualifying child/ren.

    chall ~ afairercsaforall.co.uk

  • Sarah-Jayne Pattimore says:

    It is totally unfair that WTFC and CTC are considered a income to the NRP when the PWC could be receiving these already. They are supposed to be to 'top up' the household income so a family does not fall into poverty, yet take from one child to give to another. Very very wrong.

  • Julie Measures says:

    I definitely agree with you Sarah-Jayne..Why should one child get more than the other/s??? 🙁 Makes me so so mad…especially when the pwc is on holiday every year in the summer holidays and we cant even manage that!!!!! gggrrrr

  • Allan Morrell says:

    My sentiments also!!!!

  • Gwen Davies says:

    stop claiming it thats what we had to do and were not any worse off as we were only claiming it to give to the ex so she could sit on her arse all day anyway

  • Lorraine Moore says:

    Helen, I could never have a partner who refused to pay towards his child/ren. Good for her!!

  • Claire B-Smith says:

    Exract from Damian Collins Conservative MP on the subject of Child Tax Credits being classed as income for the non resident parent:'CTC's are counted as household income. To ignore CTC's in calculating child maintenance would have the effect of the tax payer subsidising the child maintenance you owe.'

  • Claire B-Smith says:

    Extract from Damian Collins MP letter dated 03.11.10'I know that the CSA can be difficult to deal with, unduly bureaucratic and inefficient in dealing with information you give them. These are matters that I have taken up with the Secretary of State and I hope that the Government will be able to take action'.NOT HALF!!!!

  • Peter Anderson says:

    Please, everyone should be seeing and writing to their MP now! Keep them inundated with complaints about the CSA. Then maybe they'll do something about it. All of you who are being hit with ficticious arrears. All of you who can't get any money from the CSA, and all of you who can't afford to provide for your children because the CSA has taken all your money. Get writing and get down to see your MPs. And don't be fobbed off with silly excuses.

  • Craig Savage says:

    Its all money back to the treasury! TAX TAX TAX its all the government cares about the csa is just another way to get more cash out of the second class working englishman, women have equality laws to protect them, minorities have anti racism laws and the englishman has nothing, just a piece of scum to be wiped off the governments shoe a number that generates tax revenue!!!!

  • Lee Hughes says:

    Going forward there is no financial interest for the CSA, the only interest they have is arrears prior to 12th April 2010. I would guess they would only be bothered if it included arrears owed to the SoS!Any half decent set of a PWC and a NRP would avoid the CSA like the plague!, otherwise the maintenance may well disappear in transit!!!

  • Lorraine Moore says:

    My ex and I are in the 'half decent' category 🙂

  • Sarah Field says:

    Hi I trying to raise awareness to this problem, have a look at this group feel free to join up and add others.

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/protectctc/?notif_t=group_activity

  • j says:

    I feel sure that there are human rights issues to be considered here. On the HMRC website in responding to the question ‘what are tax credits’? The HMRC say –
    “Tax credits are payments from the government. If you’re responsible for at least one child or young person, you may qualify for Child Tax Credit. If you work, but are on a low income, you may qualify for Working Tax Credit. You can often get both types of tax credits. They aren’t taxable.”
    Two points stand out here, 1. they are payments from the government, in other words they are not a ‘waged’ income. 2. they are not taxable. Both statements suggest that tax credits are a ‘hardship benefit’.
    I reckon someone should look at the clause in the human rights act that allows for the ‘quiet enjoyment of family life’ which the deduction of a hardship benefit seems to breach?

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