Sometimes I wonder why I should do the right thing

October 6, 2013

I decided to go self employed a couple of months back so informed the CSA immediately and asked how future payments would be calculated. I’ve paid child maintenance every month since my ex-wife and I split up about 8 years ago and never missed a payment.

They said I wouldn’t pay anything for 3 months until I had my accounts to show income and outgoings, however I arranged to make manual payments each month to ensure my 2 children received financial support during this period.

The CSA sent me a letter to confirm they wouldn’t take any direct debit payments from me in October, November and December. I just need to ring up and make a manual payment during this period.

Sure enough they took the full amount out of my bank account on 1st October and took me over my overdraft limit as I’d not been paid by my customers yet for my new business. So as well as taking out probably £150 too much as my payments will be reducing due to my net salary reducing I’ll be charged £25 by my bank for going over my overdraft limit! So that’s me £175 down in the first month of setting up my own business.

After ringing their premium 0845 rate phone number from my mobile phone as I haven’t got a landline I was told it was their mistake and someone hadn’t amended the direct debit. They also said they should have advised me to cancel the direct debit which they didn’t.

As usual the people who you speak to are totally unsympathetic and dull to start with so this doesn’t help. Sometimes I wonder why I should do the right thing and it’s only when I think about the reason why I pay monthly, it’s to support my children.

This agency gets no better and something needs to be done about it as fortunately my joint income with my wife means I could just about handle being £175 down but why should we/her children suffer this month for a mistake by the CSA?

That’s my story and now that I’ve found this website I’ll post any more issues that happen in the next few years while the CSA are managing my child support payments.

Comments

  • Adrian says:

    You’ll find that doing the right thing by your children will be a lot harder now your self employed. I give it 12 months and I guarantee they will hit you with arrears. Best advice I can give you is get yourself an accountant and do accounts on a monthly basis to hmrc. The scum at the csa will say every 3 months but it can be done every month since all paye can be linked every month.

  • John B says:

    Many make the mistake of setting up a Direct Debit,
    DON’T
    Set up a Standing order ‘ then your in control.
    They will never refuse payment.
    This is a good way to be in charge, especially if your income isn’t regular.

  • mike hunt says:

    Cancel your direct debit and set up a standing order..

    Do not let these buffoons have your bank details.

    Similarly if you pay your ex direct standing order.

    If you and the ex are on speaking terms see if you can bypass the csa…

  • Jill says:

    I just wanted to say well done to you wanting to pay for your children and doing the right thing. Im sorry CSA have been so bloody terrible to someone who is actually taking responsibility of paying for his children.

    My husband wont pay a penny towards mine and seems to make a very good job of avoiding CSA.

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