CSA won’t pay

February 26, 2012

I split up with my two boys dad about 10 years ago and to date I have never had a penny from the csa. He pays them religiously every single month but no money goes to the children. I started work just over a year ago and wanted the money he paid to come to me instead of to my benefits to be told they closed my case in 2007. I was livid because I never asked them to close my case and I thought it was still open. So I re-opened it, I was told it would take 6 weeks to sort out, 6 weeks later I phoned them back to be told I had no open case and I had to open it AGAIN, this pattern continued until September 2011, I opened the case so many times I have lost count. I had a letter 3 weeks ago saying they had finally sorted it out ( a year to the day that I first contacted them) and I was being awarded £58 month and I should receive payments in the next couple of weeks, brilliant I thought at long last.

Surprise surprise, no payments have been received so I phoned them back to be told there was a problem with the case and it was being re-assessed and would take another 4 months. The money would only be back dated until September 2011. I am so angry because the absent father has been paying them for years and they seem to be keeping the money. I would like to know where that money has been going and why I am being backdated a few months. I just cannot get anywhere with them and being a single mother that money would help a great deal. I have no idea how to sort this problem out, any help would be so appreciated because I have been pulling my hair out now for the past 14 months over this and getting no where.

Comments

  • chall says:

    Clare,

    Try and keep your communications with the agency in writing, keep copies and send signed for post. If you speak with them on the phone, follow it up with a letter as previous.

    Apply for your Data Protection File and a complete account, it will cost you £10, but once in receipt you should be able to see what has been happening with your case.
    If you can show your case was closed in error and/or the agency have logged your requests to re open your case and have failed to act, you could apply for financial redress to put you back into the position you should have been in if the errors/mistakes had not occurred.

    chall ~ afairercsaforall

  • mr.pink says:

    There is an Army guy in the Forum Section, compalining of the same thing – paying for years and the mother not receiving a penny. Apparently if the PWC is in receipt of certain Benefits, she is not entitled to the maintenece..
    When you ask for Data Protection Unit for a complete copy of your records, this should include voice recordings, although these are only stored for 2 years.
    Hence the importance of conducting business with this unscroupulous lot in writing.

  • >