My CSA complaints letter

I sent my form requesting an assessment of maintenace payments from my ex-wife to the CSA on 6th January 2010. Having heard nothing, on 3rd March, I phoned to ask for an update to be told they had no record of my claim. They then managed to “find” it and instituted peoceedings as asked. Clearly (to me, anyway), they lost/mislaid the original form.

Nonetheless, they insist that the claim can only be dated from March. Originally, I was told that I could appeal to make the claim backdated but have most recently been told that they will only ever date the claim from the point at which my ex-wife was contacted regarding her circumstances (March). My point has been, and remains, that this date will clearly depend upon whether or not they actioned the request on receipt (January). I don’t remember reading on the CSA website anything about “we will only action a claim when the claimant contacts us to find out what progrees has been made”, which seems more closely to reflect the facts. I was told also, that, nonetheless, I was perfectly at liberty to request the 2 months’ money outstanding and that this is done by letter.

I sent such a letter on 4th May and so far, two weeks later, have received no response. Perhaps it, too, has been mislaid.

Ashdown House
Sedlescombe Road North
St Leonards On Sea
East Sussex TN37 7NL
4/5/2010

To whoever gets to open this letter

Re claim in respect of Elizabeth Sarah Warner d.o.b. 4/5/93 I sent a claim to your office for maintenance from the absentee parent on 6th January 2010. Having heard nothing for around two months I phoned to enquire as to progress (on 1st March), to be told that there was no record of my claim. Upon investigation, my claim form was found (quite where it had been, nobody seemed to know or was prepared to say), and due process commenced. However, the start date of the claim has been set at the 1st March, defined as the date that the claim was received. Very clearly, however, the form was received soon after I sent it (8th January?), but mislaid by your office to the extent that no action was instigated until I phoned on the 1st March after which you managed to “find” it. To pretend that this is other than pure incompetence on your part is complete nonsense. I have some knowledge of the workings of government departments and profoundly object to being treated like a fool. Under the circumstances, I require a written apology for mislaying my claim and the waste of time that has ensued. I further require you to commence the claim from the more realistic date of 8th January.

My latest phone conversation, after a further period of apparent inactivity, elicits that, so far, you have been unable to contact the absentee parent. Quite why this should be I’m not sure, she isn’t hiding from you and is easily contactable on the mobile number which you have and which I confirmed. I am now told that, if and when you manage to do so, in about another two weeks, a letter should be going out to tell me what precisely will be happening and when. IF that happens, in the timescale you describe, it will be around 6 months since I submitted my claim. This is in the case of two people whose information is freely available, both on record and for the asking. Has this process been, do you think, handled well and efficiently by your department?

Please be kind enough to phone as soon as this letter is received and respond at earliest to avoid amplification.

Christopher Warner

The tone of this letter reflects my frustration at being constantly told that every process will take “another two weeks” and being treated like a fool when it’s pretty obvious what has happened but they’re pretending otherwise. This claim is nearly 6 months old and so far, nothing has really happened.

I remain uncertain as to just how much of a “help line” this is, suffice to say that I’m cautiously optimistic. Perhaps you would be kind enough to let me know which arm of government controls the CSA so that, at need, I can send my complaints to the Secretary of State.