CSA refuses to recalculate money I owe even though it is far too much

July 26, 2012

The CSA have been chasing me for years, i have been writing to advise them information such as my partners children who live with us. My ex-wife has been saying she hasn’t been in touch with the CSA (but they have confirmed she has).

The figure is now £19,000 my partner took the responsibility of writing letters on my behalf, as I struggle with this and she looked on the CSA website and established I should be paying the flat rate of £5 per week.

The CSA are saying they didn’t receive the letters until Nov 2011 and are now unable to recalculate the figure they have come to prior to 2011, so they estimated my wage (massively overestimated) and now they are saying the figure they calculated will have to stick as I only had 28 days in which to appeal. Can this be legal? That they can guess a ball park figure for my annual income and then nothing can be done to alter this even though the information is inaccurate.

I would have to sell my home to pay these arrears which would mean not only would my partner, myself and her children be homeless but I would have nowhere to have my children on the 2 occasions a week when I see them. please help. Distressed!

Comments

  • jay. says:

    Write a letter of complaint and see your mp

  • Carol says:

    My ex partner was in the same position. We have now separated because of the financial pressure of this shambolic Agency.

    My ex had an assessment in place dated 2008 but was for the period 2004-2008 at £97.84 per week. CSA were aware he only worked for 35 weeks but kept the assessment in place for 168 weeks. Basically he is in the same boat as you. CSA issued a “refuse to review” which will allow him to appeal but i don’t think it will be successful. Basically the law is once an assessment is in place if you do not comply within the time limit it cannot be overturned. So basically it is legal what they have done to you but morally very very wrong.

    If you have been on benefits at certain points from a certain date they may overturn that assessment.

    Have you obtained a copy of your file from the DPU Unit to check that the CSA have done things correctly? There is a small fee of £10 but worth it. It could also be worthwhile contacting HMRC and asking for a printout of your earnings which they can supply you with but only goes back 7 years. This will show all wages info and if you were in receipt of benefits also. HMRC do not make a charge for this.

    The only thing I think you can probably do is complain to every level and hope the decision at some point can be overturned but eventually your complaint will go to Independent Case Examiner and then Ombudsman.

  • Carol says:

    Jay are things any further forward for you?

  • joanne says:

    Hi Carol, CSA are not communicating at the moment to our mp, and luckily for us Mr Laws has the balls to keep on and demand explanations to why he isn’t getting any contact. Last we heard they were re-assessing his case and getting evidence of maintenance payments, i.e house left etc, to the ex which she sold without my husbands knowledge, also, I think they are investigating benefit fraud, which she has been done for before plus claiming child benefit when his daughter moved out at 16 but she continued claiming until she was 19!!…I’m one determined nrpp that won’t take it lying down.

    I’m sorry to hear that you and your partner have separated over this, but I can completely understand, as we have nearly come close.

  • Alice says:

    Carol ,so sorry to hear that you and your partner have split up,it seems that the CSA will not stop until more relationships are damaged and that the only way they succeed is to keep at those who are already in the system ,to financially destroy everyone in their paths and to make sure 2nd families dont have a life.

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