They seem to be more understanding with my ex’s situation than mine

September 29, 2013

i have been trying to get regular payments from my ex partner through the csa now for about a year.

he is self employed and recieves about £500 a week for being a plasterer and is supposed to pay £47 a week for our children. i have 3 children aged 16,15 and 10.its the 1st time i have ever applyed for csa as i didnt even relise i was able to until i was informed by the jobcentre.

i have sole custody of all 3 children and my ex partner is not interested in having any contact with them which in its self is so sad.. i have recieved the odd payment but nothing regular and it very fustrating. i call every week at least once a week and everytime i speak to someone different…im always told someone is going to call my ex partner but no-one ever does..the only action that has been taken is there has been a liability order granted in round about april/may 2013.however no further action has been taken since then.

when contact is made with my expartner via the csa he agrees to pay a regular payment (usually of his choice as to the amount) and then agrees to add a payment of about £10 to reduce his arears…and then he never pays! the csa then leave it another month maybe 2 before contacting him again and he does the samething and a payment is never recieved!..im so fustrated i feel like if i dont call each week they would leave it even longer before contacting him. i dont understand why action hasnt been taken to retrieve something from him for his children especially after a liablility order has been put in to place. i have actually beentold one lady who i spoke to at csa..that he doesnt have as much arears as some so therefor hes not a priority! but he does however owe well o ver the amount they need to take action yet still nothing is done.

they seem to be more understanding to my ex partner and his needs than to my childrens. i dont no what i have to do to get a payment but i dont honestly see the point of the agency if there hands are tied and are unable to actually help.

Comments

  • Someone says:

    Self-employment is difficult for the CSA to handle, it doesn’t provide easy income to generate accurate assessments from (as it requires waiting for tax returns, which are only for the previous year) which impacts both Regular Maintainence and arrears repayment plans.

    How do you know nobody is calling him? Sounds like an assumption unless you have regular contact which based on what you said isn’t the case. The CSA is limited on contact just like every other cold-calling company, a maximum of 3 attempts over a 2 day period, anything more is a criminal offence. They could be trying, but it requires him to actually answer (and the NRP’s know this all too well).

    As for a liability order,don’t expect any quick fixes. They are usually used to try and force an NRP’s hand and make them pay up a large sum instantly, if they refuse…then it’s courts and law…and that take a lot of time, sometimes years to see through.

    Continue calling them everytime a scheduled payment is missed (giving 10-15 working days for it to be processed) to ensure your case is constantly being looked into.

  • gemma says:

    i ask have asked the csa for help for the 1st time in 10years as im a single mum who is already working 3 part time jobs to support my family. i understand that because my ex partner is self employed it is harder for them to keep a track on his finances..however i really feel they could be doing more..i call every week to chase the payments and every week im told someone will contact him and then when i call again the usual statement is they are sorry it doesnt to appear to have been done and then that person promises to contact him….hes very clever and when contact is eventually made he promises to make a payment in the next few days.. that never happens..and we spend another 2months going back around in the same circle its very fustrating…if my expartner was spending time with my children and even having them 1night a week i wouldnt be asking for anything but he literally refuses to do anything to help…i was 16 when i had my st child with him and he was in his 20s..i have never walked away from my responsibilties and never would or could do what hes done to the children…i just wish there was something more the csa could do to make people like him take responsibility … hes gone on to have more children whick he will not pay for so theres now 2 of us chasing him for help and hes not paying a penny for any of his 5 children…maybe the law needs to be changed..and the csa given more power against parents like him?

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