I hired a private detective to catch my ex working

October 30, 2012

CSA do not ask for correct information!! Every year my ex partner sends information on his bogus company, which he only deposits enough money to calculate amount payment of £200a month. Which he thinks is acceptable. Anyway, I had to hire a private detective this year to confirm the company he has is bogus and he is working every day and has a income.

I have to complete an variation form and they say I have to completed every year, all because the CSA will not ask for my ex`s tax returns, ask for his other income details, bank statements, company accounts. Also, every year my ex`s just sends in the bogus company information and he can afford to go on holiday 3 times a year, have two cars, owns a flat he rents, and has a house of £225,000, which he has not mortgage he paid off last year. Last year, he provide the same information and I was on £3 per a week, at xmas time. I phone, wrote letters, contact the Independent Case Examiner and still my ex sends the same information and still I keep telling the saying they have not requested the correct information. to make matters worse is that my ex has a tax investigator who advised my ex to set up the company with deposits.

Last Year my Variation form had take 4 months to be seen or looked at. All I got was a sorry and they confirmed he had an income, but the £3 per week, over xmas and struggle through my rent, heating, trying to buy a winter coat for my daughter was heart breaking and not this year I have to do this all over again and I will have to do without, and get things for my daughter. I am hungry and cold, but I make sure my daughter is provided for and maxing my visa card. All because the CSA will not see my ex has a bogus company and they told my on the phone today “how long is a piece of string”. £40.00 per a week is not enough and if my ex was unemployed, this will be paid at £70.00 per week, which is reasonable for me to live on with my daughter.

Where do I go from here? I have completed my Variation form, which will be another 4 months for them to look at!

I have wrote a letter of complaint to them and no answer.

If I write another letter to the Case Examiner, they will only pass my letter to the CSA.

I better of without any money, and go back to work full time and find someone to look after my daughter in holidays, after school the cheapest way and struggle to pay off my visa card, rent, food. Working full time, I would not see my daughter until late evenings and over time work at weekends.

Comments

  • Sally says:

    Hi – are you claiming all the benefits you could be entitled to? I am not good with facts but I believe as a parent working part time you could be entitled to working tax credits, child tax credits as well as your child benefit and child maintenance.

    I hope someone manages to provide you with advice to help you resolve your situation but I wouldn’t hold my breath for that help coming from the CSA… they are not interested in anyone’s personal circumstances… only money!!

    Good luck!!

  • rach says:

    crikey your not that skint if you can afford to employ a private detective!

  • Rhondda Griffiths says:

    Crikey! NO! I can not afford a private detective and I thought this site would give helpfull advice, not stress me anymore than providing expensive proof to the CSA. When it is there job to do a correct search of my ex`s income. If you really want to know, I borrowed the money!

    My ex lives in a £225,000 house, has two cars, owns a horse and goes on holiday 3 times a year. I have struggle and shouted at the CSA that he works. Waited outside his works, taken pictures, recorded phone conversations of his employers and all sent to the CSA. When I get every year a Variation form to fill in, and wait to prove them wrong and then back dated. Then it comes round again, to complete the another form, when they know my ex`s routine and he then gets it back dated. It is a continued nightmare and I just feel like telling the CSA to stuff it and let my ex bulling me, and not accept the any payments. I do have all the child tax credit, but than just about covers my rent every month and my wages of my part time work covers my bills and just about food. I dont go out, I dont drink and I dont smoke, and I could even afford it. When I moved into my rented house, I have to put everything on my visa card for a cooker, carpets, beds etc.

    So, just to prove that my ex is a liar to the CSA, that he is working is not worth it. The only reason why I hire a private detective was because my ex change his employers, as professional he earns about £70,000 to £80,000 a year. Is this right or wrong to correct them and letting my ex dictates what he wants to pay!

    The Bogus company was advised by the Tax advisor on how the hide money. He owned 3 Flats, at the time he was paying me £3 per week and the company was worth Nil. After shouting a the CSA, then confirmed he had the company and had a working income. Then this year a new case worker and after my ex purchase his house £225,000, the company had a capital worth of £36,000, which the CSA calculated the income from this of £40.00 per week, but not his working income as the only as for his company information only. I was told to compete the Variation for and provide evidence, proof again of this working income and I would have to every year. My ex made that income of what he dictates what he want to pay not the CSA £200.00 per month, which is reasonable amount for he likes and not involve what he really has a working income.

    So, is it fair that he can keep working, keep his own income hidden and every year that bogus company will not have anything less or more than £36,000, which I have mentioned to the CSA. Will the catch on that his company will never change and the books will be the same always? No!

    The Variation form should be looked at within 8 weeks, but my last one taken 4 months. Then a complaint letter to the Independent Case Examiner, Chester, which the just forward to the CSA! What is the point, when there should be a proper department at the CSA to search correct information for Self employed, Sole own Companies, Consultancy workers, Agency workers, self assessment tax payers. But there isnt, just the long run of the Variation forms evey year. Stupid!

  • Smithy says:

    Rhondda from your description of the lengths you’ve gone to you sound like an intelligent but rightly angry person. The thing with the CSA is that there is no time limit so it maybe an idea to leave the case open but let it go a bit and work on building your own life up. Come back to this in a couple of years when your more sorted out and maybe your ex had become more relaxed, made a couple of mistakes and you can have another go at it.

    Basically to state the obvious the CSA has no money and to get it from your ex without his at least begrudging consent is really really difficult. I wish you luck but you may find having a break for a bit, focus on your own life and child and come back to it later with a fresh approach maybe better. Also you never know but your ex in a few years time maybe less of an asshole and you maybe able to shame him into just paying you or he may have built up enough of a relationship with his daughter that he actually wants to pay some money towards her.

    Just an idea anyhow.

  • Richie says:

    Just get a job!

  • dai pugh says:

    why did you borrow money for a private detective when you are supposed to be struggling?

    From the comments you make about holidays you sound controlling and vindictive. As Richie says “just get a job” and why don’t you let him have the kids a bit more he pays while they are with him and you can pay off your debt and hire another detective?

    Too many women in the govt or civil service they think the country can borrow more to spend more – Rhondda you are now in more debt and have no extra money – get real.

  • karen bedford says:

    Hi ignore Richie – you get some like that!

    I hired a private detective because I got that desperate that I felt it was worth the money to spend – it did help – so I dont have regrets – but I had to borrow the money form my family to do that – as I needed to be believed also! It is so wrong that we have to go to those lengths to prove FRAUD AND DECEPTION! Which this is and should be tried as a criminal offence.

    Get a job – well I have lots of dif. jobs and have always worked – its not as easy as that – if you have children its difficult to get work to fit in, etc. and with the current climate its even harder esp when the salary/wages are so low that its not worth working because at least benefits keep the roof over yours and your children’s head! Its not right, but its fact and jobs need to be more flexible and pay more so that people wouldnt have to rely on benefits – its the system that is wrong the government need to open their eyes to the ordinary people who suffer because of others!

    Please join the facebook groups child support agencies failings and other groups – that have been created/set up for people who have been failed by the CSA whether NRP or PWC, male or female – for support and advice.

  • Rhondda says:

    I have a job!!!! Anything else you want to criticise me on!!!

    Stress enough, when I thought I could get good advice or information from this site, but there is just cristicism. The people whom I am close to know my personal business, didnt think that I would have to explain all my in and outs on a website. Just a problem and help!!

    Thanks a lot.

  • Alice says:

    sorry to see that you came to this site looking for advice and got more stress and insults than help.

    Sadly the CSA have to take the information provided by the NRP or his employer – if he is self-employed and is providing false income (easy to do with some creative accounting) then the csa have to base their calculation on his income. If you are applying for a variation then the onus to prove the grounds for the application. If the variation is applied for on the basis of income from property he owns and rents out then the variation will be based only on the profit made so any mortgage or other costs attached to the property (letting agents fees, repairs etc) will be off set against the rent received.

    I think the problem might arise from your ex partner manipulating his income to avoid paying realistic maintenance for his child, and unfortunately the CSA have to base their calculation on the income details they receive. If he is tweaking his income it is likely that he is also committing tax evasion, if so you should contact HMRC and they would investigate

  • chall says:

    Rhondda,

    Many PWC with s/e ex’s have similar issues to yours. Sadly, such issues, coupled with CSA delays serve to exasperate the whole situation.

    The link below may assist with advice regarding variations.
    http://www.gingerbread.org.uk/factsheet/7/Getting-the-right-amount-of-child-maintenance

    Also, if you need proof regarding other properties your ex owns and know the address of such you could check on the landregistry.gov.uk where copies of title registers showing ownership details can be purchased for £3 each.

    You could also take a look at turn2us.org.uk, where you could calculate your entitlement to benefits.

    chall ~ afairercsaforall

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