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CSA say I owe them arrears – but children lived with me!

April 26, 2010

I was a lone parent father raising my two teenage sons;  my daughter came also to live with me. The CSA tried to claim from my ex as although I was working I had some other reason that the csa became involved. May have been child tax credit or child benefit, not quite sure.

Anyway although my ex ran a large pub which was very busy, she apparently was not earning enough to pay any money toward her children’s upkeep, to me via the csa. As all my children all lived with me, the csa sent me a letter in 2004 to say that my case is closed and that I need not make any further payments to my ex for my daughter. I think I was paying about £80 a week until my daughter moved in with me.

About 6 months later my daughter went back to live with her mother.

Many years later in 2008 I received a letter from the new version of the csa who presented me with an arrears bill for £12,000? (twelve grand)

I explained that I had a previous letter in 2004 stating that the case was closed and I did not need to make further payments and sent them a copy. I also told them that I had been in the same address all these years with same phone number and nobody from csa has ever contacted me. I asked for the matter to be looked into. They then made a deduction of earnings of £140 a week which I still pay and they refuse to reply to my letters to them.

My daughter is almost 18 and lives in her own flat with boyfriend yet csa are still taking this money every week stating that its arrears.

Incidentally, for all the years that my daughter lived with her mother prior to moving in with me, I paid thousands of pounds via the csa to her mother, which I don’t have issue with but this recent assessment is bullying and unjust.

Can anyone suggest how I can deal with this unfair assessment that’s been forced on me?

Written by Jamie OKeefe · Filed Under CSA Advice, CSA Complaints 

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Comments

  • Christina says:
    March 1, 2011 at 11:45 pm

    I would get an attorney to review your case. You might not get back the money you paid out, but it should cut off the rest of the money you supposedly “owe.”

  • Steve Barlow says:
    January 29, 2013 at 5:21 pm

    God it’s all so wrong isn’t it.

    When you say the CSA refuse to answer your letters, surely they can’t?

    Write to the Complaints Department, they are obliged to acknowledge your letter within 15 days. There is a very lengthy appeals process which I believe goes through 5 stages.

    But fight it, send your letters recorded deliver.

    Google NACSA, for £20 for a months membership you can get advice on how to proceed.

    Good luck, please keep this post updated.

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