Everyone I speak to at the CSA says something different
Hello, I have 2 sons aged 9 and 7, and after their mum and I split she moved back to her native Scotland from Wales, taking our sons. I fought to see my sons but you would not believe how my sons were used as pawns in her desperate battle to stop me seeing them, in after a bitter fight for access I asked my Scottish solicitor to withdraw as I could not bear to see them going through any more pain and the lies they were made to tell.
I have been unemployed since March 24th 2011 and I do not receive any benefits what so ever, I am supported by my partner who earns a low wage and she receives a small amount of tax credits, but I am still hounded by the CSA and their letters state my net income is zero but I have some ‘variation’ that shows me getting £600 per week! which is not true.
I am at my wits end with the CSA, I get letters from 3 or 4 different departments all stating different facts and figures. I look forward to your response, thank you.
3 thoughts on “Everyone I speak to at the CSA says something different”
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Welcome to The World of The CSA!
You are not alone.
I gave up dealing with these people on the telephone years ago.
I now only deal with them by post.
I suggest you do the same.
Reply to every letter and keep a copy.
File all correspondence in date order.
Should they phone you tell them you no longer deal with them by telephone but to put everything in writing.
This means you both have a copy in case of any future legal action or complaint.
if you ex applied for a variation a copy of the form should have been sent to you to allow you the opportunity to dispute the application, you should also then have been told if the variation application had been successful If you are on new rules system and you are not working or in receipt of benefits then you will be assessed as nil, they will not assess you on your current partner’s earned income but they can base an assessment on any CTC that your current partner is claiming (not WTC if she is the only one working)
contact the CSA and ask what the variation is based on – if it was applicable at some point in the past and is not now you will be entitled to ask for a re-assesement
Dont speak to the csa by phone. Put everything in writing, send recorded delivery, keep the delivery slips as evidence. Copy your MP into everything you do and ask for their support, they may even be prepared to advocate on your behalf. Get a copy of your Data Protection Prints from the csa (£10) which is their record of all information they have on you, get a full copy including written and computer notes. Make a formal complaint/appeal through the csa internal process, there are arbitary time limits so start this now. The csa are part of the DWP so expect to be messed about, kept waiting and lots of mistakes. If not happy make a complaint via the ‘Independent’ Case Examiner (ICE) another part of the DWP so dont expect miracles. You can then try an appeals tribunal (another part of the DWP) but dont hold out for a finding in your favour. Your MP could forward your case to the Parliamentry and Health Service Ombudsman but you have to go through the process first (internal/ICE/appeal). When you become as cynical as the rest of us you may feel the csa was dreamed up by a civil servant to create jobs for low grade civil servants in areas of high unemployment to collect stealth tax for the government. Might explain why so many people dont get the money thats collected.