CSA mother leaves her baby in the car while she gets drunk

March 27, 2008

This story is quite incredible, and is somewhat hard to believe. A CSA worker was given a suspended sentence after she left her baby in her car while she got drunk in a bar.

Is this is the standard of people who work for the CSA? I hate to imagine how little they care for our children if this is how they treat their own children. Child Support Agency indeed? Who are they trying to fool?

The full story can be read here at the Manchester Evening News website.

Gemma Train, 23, who works for the Child Support Agency, left one-year-old William in the child seat while she went on the boozing spree.

Yesterday, after pleading guilty to being drunk in charge of a child and neglect, she walked free from court after being given a suspended prison sentence at Bolton Magistrates Court.

The careless CSA worker even had the audacity to tell the police that she was a good mum. Yeah, some great mother she is. Leaving her baby in a car while she gets hammered in a bar. Great parenting Gemma Train. You should be shot for that kind of behaviour.

Typical child support agency worker. Couldn’t care less about the children, it’s all about the money.

Arrears?

March 25, 2008

I’m neither a NRP, nor a PWC… I am a NRPs partner… and believe you me… it’s not just the NRP, or the PWC that get affected by the CSA! Not only do I have to see and feel the hell my partner has to go through time and time again… but I have even been threatened by the CSA for them to take me to court, as I refused to give them any information about whom I was or what I did for a living!

Anyway… not the reason I’m writing here… nope… I’m writing to rant, and also seek advise regarding “arrears”.

Since 2004, my partner had been paying CS through the CSA, always paying what they wanted him to pay… whatever new letter arrived in the mail… we complained… but paid what it said there (and yes… we paid… not just my partner, as there were time the CSA left my partner with less then £50 to survive on a week after everything had been paid off… not to mention the sweat and tears we’ve paid with).

However, at the end of 2006 my partner became unemployed, and he stopped his direct debit, and informed both his ex-wife and the CSA about it. His ex-wife wasn’t interest in the pennies she would recieve out of his Income Support, so the CSA backed off. In March 2007, my partner became employed again, and him and his ex-wife agreed to to do a standing order directly to her, for £250 a month.

In October, my partner ex-wife contacted the CSA again, without informing my partner that she was breeching their contract. A lot of palaver later on, and the CSA wants my partner to pay £16.53 more a week then what he was doing when paying her direct…

BUT… and here’s the big but… not only do they want him to pay £16.53 more a month – but they also claims he owns £2500 in backpay! Not only that… but they are not willing to tell him what the supposed arrears are for!

I worked it out… and if my partner was supposed to pay £16.53 extra a week since October, his arrears would be £396.72… so where in the world do they get such a number from? And how in the world can they get away with not informing people what the arrears are for? Oh we’ve asked… both on the phone and via letter, and so far the best answer we’ve gotten is “it’s complicated”… complicated my behind… either they can justify it, or they can’t.

The CSA are crooks, and the whole system should be abolished… a new system should come into place, with both parents paying towards the child in a percentage of what they earn… towards a set target that the children need! Let’s say a child needs £250 a month (this is only to cover clothes, food, extra electricity [as clearly the family the child lives with also uses electricity], gas, toiletries, etc), and the PWC earns £20000 a year, and the NRP earns £30000 a year. Then the PWC should be contributing 40% towards the £250, as they earn 40% of the gathered income of both parents (which in turn means that the NRP should be contributing 60%)… but this also goes for travel to see the NRP… as if the CSA, care one bit for the children they claim they are “helping”, then they should know that it’s important for a child to have a good relationship with BOTH parents! If either of the parents cannot afford to contribute their share towards the upkeep pf the children, then the government should contribute the rest!

Tell us your CSA horror stories

March 25, 2008

If you’d had problems with the child support agency then please let us know about it. You don’t have to give your name or any details about your private life, or your specific case. We just want to know about the CSA and the way they’ve dealt with you.

You can register on our website here and add your story direct to the website. There’s no need to speak to anyone or even email us, just sign up, login and in and write down the troubles you’ve had with the child support agency.

Whether you’re a non resident parent or a parent with care, let us know exactly what’s happened with you and the CSA.

Remember, it’s completely anonymous. The Child Support Agency won’t know who you are and the more complaints and stories we get on this website, the better chance we have of actually getting things to change.

Tell us your child support agency stories now.

What does CSA stand for?

March 25, 2008

The CSA. Apparently it stands for “Child Support Agency”. Personally, I think they should change it to something more appropriate to their workings. Let me know if you come up with any ideas for it. They certainly don’t support many children.

This is what I have gathered from various people I know who have had the misfortune of dealing with them. As explained in the post “How long have you got – My Story”, I don’t believe their current role is supporting any children. I believe their current role is to raise as much cash as they can to pay off old debts they have. Like the millions they are currently indebted with, all that money they borrowed.

See, I’ve heard how when they do issue DEO’s, how they are only issued to NRP’s who are already making regular payments, or from cases years old where they recover money but the children are now grown adults who will never see a penny. Yep, they’re pretty keen on getting NRP to pay arrears running into thousands paid off in two years time, most NRP’s whose children are now adults. The DEO’s attached to those children who are still young seem to sit in the CSA’s account for weeks, which I imagine builds a lot of interest which will go toward the debt. Or the monies deducted from DEOs appear to vanish into thin air – classic case this week where one PWC queried her missing money to be told “It’s gone to another office in error, but we don’t know which one” WTF??!

They tend not to bother with recent cases where either the PWC is in employment or the NRP is in reciept of benefit. Why? Because the CSA do not get a penny of this, that is why. They simply do not give a stuff unless the money they collect is lining their pockets, and paying their debt.

Now, if I were to say to my childminder – “oops, the money the tax credit office paid me towards your childcare was in my account but I had a debt to pay so it’s gone”…..Can you imagine the fuss? She’d stop looking after my kids because effectively I would have stolen from her. The money the tax credit office gives me is to pay my childcare, it’s not my money to take. DEO’s are not for the CSA to take for their own gain, it’s for the children. Yet, every day they get away with yet another scam. They are the biggest conmen and thieves walking on this earth, but because they are a government body, they get away with it. Seems they get away with rather a lot. How many NRP’s have committed suicide, because the CSA have robbed them of every penny and left them with nothing to live on, and nothing to live in when houses are repossessed? We all know the ones that have been publicised, but the press only publish a few stories, it’s nothing in the grand scheme of things. I wonder how many suicides there are that go unwritten about. If a joe bloggs debt collection agency issued a DEO on behalf of a company, they would only be permitted to take a certain amount, that’s it. Nothing more and no other form of payment. The CSA as a government body can do what the hell they like without conscience. They are walking around with blood on their hands but feel no guilt.

At the other end of the scale there are PWC who have also committed suicide because they simply cannot afford to pay the motgage without their child support, which they are not receiving. I’ve come close to losing my home myself because I cannot afford to support my children alone, despite working full time. I have then considered if I am a capable parent, if I cannot provide my children with the bare essentials which in turn has led me to contemplate suicide because at times like these, I feel my children are better off without me. I tried it twice years ago. Both times I failed. But many have tried and succeeded.

The CSA – getting away with murder. Hey, I’ve just thought of a new name. “The Child Survivor Agency” – for all the children who are surviving of their late parents, whom they lost due to the immense strain the agency puts them under. Morbid? Yes. But then so are the CSA.

How long have you got? – My story so far.

March 19, 2008

Man this is long. Long, long, long! But it has to be, for two reasons. 1 – To explain in great detail my story and 2 – so people using this site will know exactly why I have such little respect for the CSA. I pay people as much respect as they afford me, it really is that simple.

Well, my CSA hell began two years ago. I separated from my ex partner, we had two children together. I love our children dearly, I wouldn’t change having them but just to clarify a point; it was him who wanted the family, him who insisted we settle down and commence the baby making. Yet it was also him who decided to spurn them whenever he realised that kids cost cash. During a short time in one of the rare periods in which we were being civil toward each other, I asked my ex if he would be willing to support the two children by private arrangement of either £15 – £20 per week, or by supplying the children with what they needed when they needed it, for example, purchasing nappies or clothing. This way, he would see exactly where his money was going as he would be buying the goods rather than providing me with a steady flow of cash. He agreed. However, I soon grew accustomed to the phrase of “I’ll get the nappies next week, I’m too short this week” Next week never came, nor the next week, nor the next. Yet he had plenty of cash flow to spend on himself.

Having had enough of our children going without, I completed a paper application, downloaded from the CSA website in order to extract cold hard cash from a cold hard man to support the children that HE insisted we have. Within a month, I had a letter drop ever so delicately though my letterbox telling me that my claim was invalid. Why? Because my ex partner at this time had not moved out of the home that was once a family home but had become like a prison cell. But that’s not it, oh no. The CSA were aware of this prior to my application. I know this because I telephoned them and asked them if I could make the claim under those circumstances. After all why would I waste ink on my printer, time in completion and the cost of a stamp if I could not claim? They said I could claim. I also put that information on my application form. A week before I received that letter I received a telephone call at my place of work, from a CSA officer who was calling with a long list of personal questions to “establish the relationship you have with your ex partner, we do this when non resident parents and parents with care are still living within the same household.” Oh, ok fire away then…..and so she did.

Personal questions. My God that’s an understatement. After labouring with two children, you’d think that I’d be an old hand at my privacy being invaded and dignity being left at the door. Not so. If a man in the street had asked me the sort of questions that CSA officer did that day, he’d have earned a slap in th puss for his trouble. Cut to the point, I answered the questions, every last embarrassing one of them, and every one leaving the officer in no doubt that my ex partner were living in the same household but leading very separate lives.

So now you understand my frustration at receiving the letter. What do I do? Simple, I get on the dog and bone to the good ol’ CSA and ask for a full and frank explanation. And I get….a repetition of what’s written in the letter. I reply that is not an explanation, I want to know why I was rung at my workplace and hounded with personal questions if my claim held no purpose from the beginning. I get the same repetition. I ask again. And alas, I get the same answer. Just when I’m beginning to lose patience at hearing what appears to be either a broken record or a repeated automated message, I muster enough words to ask to speak to this woman’s supervisor. “Why?” is the response. “Because you refuse to answer a simple question, that’s why. I am entitled to an explanation and if you can’t give it, then I expect your superior might, that’s why” So off she toddles for approximately 15 minutes while I’m on hold. Eventually another officer comes on the phone, and I repeat my request for an explanation of why my private life was invaded if I had no right to claim. Wanna know what her response was? Do ya, do ya, really???????

The phonecall never took place. That’s right. Never happened. I imagined the whole thing. Hallucinations? Er, nope. “Bollocks”, says I. “It bloody well did happen and I can prove it happened.” She responds “And how is that?” I respond: “Because at my place of work, all calls are automatically recorded for security and training purposes. This call was recorded and I also have several colleagues who witnessed that very call, of whom I will have no hesitation in calling upon. Would you like me to supply you with a copy of the tape? I’m sure my employer would be agreeable to this” By now, I can almost hear the panic in her voice, she mumbles “That won’t be necessary, I’ll look into it and I will personally call you back” End of piece.

Surprisingly for the CSA, she did call me back. And she stated that the officer who had rung me was a trainee who was not fully aware of the protocol and whom had been reprimanded. She apologised, insisted that I never should have recieved that call. Was I dumb enough to accept this? Sadly, yes, yes I was. CASE CLOSED.

After the ex eventually did leave the house, I applied to the CSA again. This time, I didn’t receive a response as swiftly. Despite their own guidelines of a call back within 5 working days to “gather information”, I waited approximately three months for them to respond, and only then because I raised the issue with their complaints department and was close to asking my MP for assistance. They took the information they wanted, everything. They had the non resident parent’s full name, address, contact telephone number, employer, date of birth and the most important tracing tool that exists….his national insurance number. Yep, they know everything there is to know, yet to this day….they cannot trace him. He’s not changed names or anything of the sort. I’ve seen him, I know he’s still around but nope they cannot find him.

Funny, that kinda rings a bell with me. See, I have a friend who also has two children. Like me this friend works full time so any money she would get via this incompetent excuse for an enforcement agency, would all go toward her children, the CSA get to keep not a penny for themselves. Isn’t it funny how like me, her ex also cannot be traced. Not like the parents with care who are claiming income support, whose non resident parent pays the full amount but whom the parent with care only receives £10 per week. The rest of the money most probably goes toward the massive debt the CSA themselves have. Bottom line is, in my opinion the CSA will not bother with any case where there is no recourse to line their own pockets. By stark comparison I also have a friend who does receive income support.

Ironically, I also have a friend who does recieve income support. She also has two children. Her ex in in reciept of benefits, always has been. Now, for that he would have £5 per week deducted from his benefit which would go directly to my friend. She has had a claim with the CSA for 6 long years. Again no money for the CSA. Again they can’t trace him. That’s right, he is in reciept of benefit from the same government body (DWP) that the CSA is a part of, yet they cannot trace him. They tripped themselves up there, didn’t they? They actually told my friend that her ex in is reciept of benefit because “it says so on the computer” Well, I would have thought if it “says so on the computer”, then it will also “say so on the computer” what benefit, where he lives and which office he recieves his benefit from. Shit computer system, they have, eh? Or maybe the CSA have such imbosiles working there that they don’t know how to check the records. Just an educated guess.

The CSA are famous for stealing money from children. They are famous for issuing DEO’s on fathers who have been making regular payments. They are famous for accusing infertile men of fathering children: guilt by name association. And now, they are famous for their screw up on my case. Not as scandal filled as some of the bigger screw ups they make, but another CSA screw up nonetheless.

Anyway, in the infamous words of Mr Piggy “Th- th- th- th- that’s all folks!” For now. At least.

Man faces paying for child that isn’t his through CSA

March 14, 2008

Sheffield based Ryan Kennedy has been having the worst of year of his life, all thanks to the CSA. They’ve contacted him in February of last year to say that a former girlfriend had named him as the father of her nine year old son. This meant he was liable for child support. However, even though he had to borrow £200 from his father for a DNA test, the mother of the child refused the test.

This means that if the woman changed her mind he could be contacted again by the CSA at any point in the next 13 years and be forced to pay back maintenance for the entire period.

This meant he faced spending up to 13 years – until the child became 19 – with the prospect that he would be suddenly landed with a bill for thousands of pounds in maintenance hanging over him.

Ryan, who plans to marry his 22-year-old fiancee later this year, said: “My fiancee has been fabulous but it could have gone the other way and totally destroyed us.

“It was as if my life was at a standstill and I couldn’t plan anything.

“The more money I got in the future from work, the more I might have ended up paying.”

michael cox v CSA part 2

March 14, 2008

This is the second part of the Michael Cox against the CSA video from GMTV.

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Michael Cox v CSA

March 7, 2008

Complaints against the CSA are legendary and numerous, though Michael Cox had such a gripe that it was featured on GMTV. Watch in horror at the level of incompetence on offer here.

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CSA Steal money from non resident parents

March 5, 2008

ONWWW have been trying for some time now to get answers about what happens to the money the CSA collect from non resident parents (including myself). It seems that the money paid to parents with care from both the CSA and the benefits agency combined is LESS than the amount collected by the CSA.

ONWWW claims that the CSA doesn’t even count the money it collects, they just pass it to the treasury for them to do with as they please.

So the government makes a tidy profit from non resident parents as a result of the CSA. Personally I’d prefer it if my children received the money I pay, after all that is the general idea isn’t? I’m being forced to pay out 25% of my income to some all powerful body on the basis that my children benefit from it, yet they only receive a small fraction of that money.

What happens to the rest of it?

ONWWW try to find out with little success. CSAhell.com may need to lend their support and find answers.

Record your phone calls with the child support agency

March 4, 2008

When dealing with the child support agency you will find that anything you tell them gets lost or not noted properly. Anything they say they’ll do you’ll find they won’t actually do. If they promise to call you back, don’t expect a call. For this reason we strongly advise that whenever you speak to the CSA over the phone you take the following precautions:

  1. Take notes, including the name of the person you are speaking to, their line manager, the time of the call, the duration of the call and of course the date of call.
  2. Any actions they say they’ll do you write down.
  3. Record the call! This is vital. You don’t need their permission to record the phone call, you don’t even need to notify them that you’re doing it. This way you will have proof of what was said and what was agreed.

I realise this all sounds a little draconian, but sadly it is all necessary. The CSA will lie to you, make sure you’re prepared for that eventuality.

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