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Huge DEO hike after change of circumstances – anyone else experienced this?

March 21, 2013

All, I am on old rules and have a 12.5 yr old with the ex.

I moved into full time employment in May 2011 – called CSA to report change of circumstances (I gave true circumstances – £20k per year gross income for me GF our daughter and me in house; grasping married ex has my other daughter for whom CSA is payable) and received a letter saying they wanted £158 per month and were collecting via DEO!!! Why they didn’t sent a nice letter asking for standing order I don’t know but I duly let the flawed DEO (paperwork was wrong) pass.

No reported changes until Nov 2012 when my GF and I had another baby together so I called up and reported her birth (they needed her child benefit number before they would log the change).

I received a letter stating my payments had been reduced to 17.70 per week – £76.70 per month and I would be sent a payment schedule.

A letter arrived today and they are amending the DEO to £400 per month – £75.62 reg maint + £324.38 arrears!!

I promptly called to kindly explain that my protected income used in their calculations vs my disposable income left about £20 accessible income that they are welcome to each week if they want to collect arrears from that.

The advisor seemed unconcerned and wanted me to write in with changes; I put to him that if the CSA can work out that if by their calcs I can only afford an extra £20 before I would be better on benefits then why to they think this recovery figure acceptable?

All I was met with was that “we can take up to 40% of your income but this works out to just over 30%” – even though this decimates my protected earnings level.

Before I start off on a mad one with the CSA does anyone have any advice after travelling this road before?

Thanks for the long read,

Will

Written by Will001 · Filed Under CSA Advice 

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Comments

  • wilf says:
    March 21, 2013 at 10:23 am

    On the old system protected income for assessment purposes (disposable income – protected income = affordable amount) is not the same as the protected income used by the accounts people.
    Protected income used by accounts is known as the exempt income in the assessment.
    Your exempt income is made up of personal allowance,housing costs and 1/2 the allowances for shared children in your household.
    Your liability should not exceed the affordable amount.
    The DEO should not exceed your exempt income.

  • stuart says:
    March 21, 2013 at 10:32 am

    Before you do anything else ask for your data prints, when recieved then complain. as they will change your file to suit once you complain without them.

    Trust me they will.

  • lisa says:
    March 21, 2013 at 10:58 am

    Unfortunatly this the CSA all over, they do this to stay in control, they don’t want to give the nrp a choice how to pay his CS, they make sure a deo is slapped on so that it makes there job much easier, because it falls on the employer to feel like a twat taking loads of money from somebodies wage that they know is also wrong,
    If your in any doubt complain, you might find its been applied unlawful and that arrears actually don’t exist, this has happened many times before,

  • wilf says:
    March 21, 2013 at 8:01 pm

    Will006:- Sorry, your protected income is equivalent to your exempt income.
    So you should be left with at least an amount equivalent to your exempt income after deductions, for the child maintenance and any arrears.

  • Will says:
    April 3, 2013 at 10:53 pm

    OK – so thanks for the comments all.

    I have sent them a letter along with copies of my rent, council tax, elec payments, water payments etc as ‘proof’ of my essential outgoings. I called up today and it’s on the system and being looked at. I was initially shocked that they had admitted it was there and not lost in the post like everything else.

    The prick on the other end of the phone mentioned I had £6k arrears! and that these need to be addressed, I done the maths for him and demonstrated that if I fucked work off and claimed benefits then they would get nothing and I would only be £24 pound a week worse off if they were taking the £400 per month anyway.

    A IVA was suggested and he said I should go to the Cit Advice – why go the fucking CAB when it’s the morons at the CSA who should be giving me the advice and not a third party with half of the story AAHHHH!!!

    Anyways, a full SARD/DPA access request will be winging it’s way over with a tenner to cover costs shortly.

    I shall update when I know more.

    Thanks,

  • Terry SCOTT says:
    November 5, 2013 at 8:33 pm

    Will STOP calling the CSA yourself, get http://www.nacsa.co.uk deal with them. The CSA love NRPs getting involved directly it means they have you mentally oh high anxiety and more likely to comply.

    Save yourself the grief, stress, anxiety and further financial loss because of their shambolic and unpleasant attitude.

    NEVER DEAL WITH THE CSA DIRECTLY..they hate it when you get professional representation. http://www.nacsa.co.uk

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