I want to pay the CSA, but I cannot

I have long term mental health issues which means I am unable to work. I have 2 daughters aged 16 & 14. The CSA have been sporadic in their contact with me over the years and will say they’re taking payments from my disability allowance which they do for a while then it stops, starts again, stops again etc to the point I no longer have any idea what I’ve paid, expected to pay or whether or not its actually being deducted.

Now I’ve received a letter saying I owe them £2000 which I cannot verify as being accurate and must pay in full immediately then goes on to make the usual threats. Of course, I would pay it if I had the means to do so but I don’t. My health issues forced my out onto the streets for a while and I only now have a roof over my head thanks to intervention from a housing charity. My point is, I have no assets,savings, property or possessions except the clothes on my back. I don’t smoke, drink, take drugs, gamble or socialise so its not like I can give something up to find the extra money, short of going without food, heating and power. As it is I barely have the heating on and sit in the cold because I’m afraid to run up a bill I can’t pay.

It worries me that they make the assumption everyone has the money and is just choosing not to pay it. I resent being treated like a criminal just because my medical condition has forced me to live outside of mainstream society and in the weakest financial situation its possible to be in. I didn’t choose to have this condition.

I have no objection to paying for my children but how will ignoring my offers to pay what I can,threatening to take away my benefit,have me evicted, suspending my driving license and sending me to jail going to change the fact I simply don’t have any way of coming up with the money.

I even tried volunteering for clinical research as a way of raising the money but was turned down because of my health and the medications I have to take to control it. I feel that I’m being victimised because I’m viewed by the CSA as an easy target and have no one to turn to for help. I’m afraid that they will just either take all of my benefit or suspend it entirely. Either way I won’t survive if they do. It seems to me the government have given the CSA the power to do anything they want to recover as much money as possible and I think they use bully boy tactics to force money out of the weak and the vulnerable in order to a) make up for the money they can’t recover elsewhere and b)to justify the continued existence of the agency itself.

Before you judge me as a “deadbeat dad” or assume I’m just trying to dodge supporting my kids, try living in my shoes for a week and see how well you do.
Yes, every parent should pay towards the upkeep of their children but within their means and not to the detriment of the basic living standards surely.