CSA wants money for child ex refuses to prove is mine

I have an 8 year old daughter who for the first 3 years of her life I was allowed to see on a regular basis (every secondweekend). During this time I was in generally amicable contact with the mother and making regular payments to her through a standing order.

Shortly after her 3rd birthday I was refused access by the mother for literally no reason other than my job was taking up a lot of my spare time. I was in the military, but I simply had no choice but to cancel the odd weekend last minute and re-arrange, but without going into the details it turns out my ex-partner had her own agenda all along and became involved in a relationship so “ she didn’t need me to look after my daughter at weekends anymore”

Since then I have been pursued by the CSA for maintenance payments, my ex even refused to let me continue paying into her bank, (changed her bank account) I believe she thought she might have gotten more via the CSA but I have simply refused to pay them for the last few years and have been putting money into an account in my daughter’s name.

I have continued to pay for the most part the same as my original payments and there is a substantial amount in it (and growing) for when she turns 16, the problem is I have been advised by the CSA that I apparently owe £7000 approx. in arrears, with no explanation as to how they have calculated this, and have been advised I cannot dispute it at any stage. Surely this is not legal? I have telephoned, written and now going to email the CSA to demand an explanation as to how they have calculated this amount as there were pints during this period I was unemloyed, but would like some advice on what my options are, and if they can literally tell me how much I owe without giving me some form of information as to how they have calculated it. I really do not want to use the money in the savings account to repay off arrears as the situation gets slightly more complicated at this point.

I have heard rumours over the last few years that my ex knows my daughter isn’t mine but still wants money from me, I genuinely accepted at the time of my daughter’s birth that she was mine, and signed the birth certificate, but even then I had reservations by the actions of my ex..I wasn’t allowed to the birth, she moved away from Scotland to England without even telling me and now she refuses to even respond to any of my letters, emails, fb messages the lot over the last 4 or 5 years. She will not allow me to see my daughter without any explanation so it’s leading me to further believe these rumours, especially as I receive significant information recently which unfortunately gives the rumours strength. Don’t get me wrong I love my daughter and I sincerely hope she is mine, but niggling doubts cannot go away and I’m sure most people will sympathise especially with the treatment I have received.

Naturally I offer this information to the CSA who advise me again that it is my responsibility to establish a DNA test to prove my “innocence” in the situation. I have written to my ex-partner 3 separate times now (all recorded) asking for my daughter to participate in a DNA test which she has still not responded. Still the csa are pursuing me and even threatening me with jail time, or wage arrestment…at the risk of sounding melodramatic I’m up the creek either way. If I have a wage arrestment at the amount they advise they will take I will not have enough remaining money to live from to cover simple bills like rent, council tax, car insurance as I live in an expensive city, but for the most part they are risking my career as I am an Ambulance Technician studying to be a paramedic, with any untoward financial history etc. I can be refused licensing by the HPC and ultimately end my career before it has even begun.

Surely the CSA cannot be so unbelievably biased towards a woman who refuses to allow a father to see his child, yet has the audacity to chase them up demanding I pay money she claims I owe is for the benefit of a child she wont even prove is mine. Part of me doesn’t want to carry out this test, it will devastate me if my daughter isn’t mine, but I cannot deal with all this stress much longer it is affecting my life, my career and my relationships. How can the CSA claim to be acting in the best interests of the child if they will not consider the situation of the father.

I understand fathers out there who refuse to pay for their children, and who do not want interaction are pursued and threatened with legal action etc, I have set up a bright financial future for my daughter, I have exhausted money to the point of bankruptcy paying for solicitors to see her but get nowhere, and still they consider this woman to be the “hard done by” any advice on what Ican possibly do to get these vultures off my back!!!

And more importantly pursue action to prove my daughter Is mine?