Why are the CSA involved when I live with my dad and my brother lives with his mum?

November 24, 2012

I am seventeen and I have been living with my dad for 18 months now. My mother has treated me very badly and she told me she didn’t want me to live with her any more. She promised she would sort out the CSA money to make sure I could be looked after properly, so I moved in with my dad.

My dad looked after me without any financial help for 15 months due to my mothers lies and the CSA. I have a younger brother who lives with my mother, so surely there should be no need for the CSA at all because both would be equal. We are now struggling for money because even though I am living with my dad, he still has to pay my mother £250 a month! We are even facing having to leave our little rented house.

My mother however, is living in a 6 bedroom mansion with her boyfriend and refuses to speak to me. She has expensive clothes and make up and has even spent £6000 on cosmetic surgery.

I would like some answers about how we could be treated in this way? If the CSA is all about the welfare of children, why am I facing poverty whilst my mother is living a life of luxury?

My dad has been in contact with the CSA over 20 times and has been given no answers, simply being told there is “nothing they can do”. However, when my mother calls them it seems they immediately make sure my dad has to pay her more money. Shouldn’t mothers have the same responsibility for their kids as fathers do?

I have even contacted the CSA myself, in the hope they would listen to a teenager who was facing financial troubles due to their judgements, but I was basically told I would not understand and brushed off with a generic email sent to everyone who complains.

I am very worried about this, my dad is all I have and I feel like I am causing unnecessary problems for him. I love my dad very much and I am so grateful for the support and love he has given me. But, we shouldn’t have to live like this, can someone please help me?

Comments

  • Smithy says:

    I believe it’s whoever the child benefit is paid to is defined as the PWC. I’ve no experience with this but could be an idea for you to try to change where the child benefit it paid to and then use this as a basis to go at the CSA for them to change also.

    https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit-16-19

    If there’s no child benefit being paid and your in work maybe you could provide pay slips to the CSA.

    As always with the CSA as they are a bunch of muppets, send everything via recorded delivery with your case number on etc as if you are phoning them it’s pretty pointless as they will just ignore you.

    If you’ve done this and you have all the paperwork and receipts of sending you could then contact your local mp and ask them to intervene. It’s a much easier task for them if you’ve got all the paperwork to hand rather than a set of verbal issues.

  • Alice says:

    The CSA are not allowed to speak to the person named as the Qualifying Child in the case.

    Child Maintenance can be claimed via CSA by the person who claims Child Benefit for a child. If a couple part and each parent has a child living with them both claiming Child Benefit for the child living with them then each can open a case with the CSA.

    A case with the CSA will be assessed on the income of the non-resident parent. If a non resident parent is assessed to pay child maintenance and they do not pay it the CSA can impose a Deduction of Earnings and money will be deducted direct from their wages by their employer and sent to the CSA – this will be higher than the weekly maintenace due as this will take something towards the arrears.

    If you Dad has been issued with a DEO and he is struggling to pay this then he can contact the CSA and ask if they will take a lesser amount towards the arrears. If he owes a large amount of unpaid child support they might not be able to reduce the amount he is paying as they have to get the debt cleared in no more than 2 years

    Has your Dad opened a case to claim against your mother for you? Does your mother work? If your mother does not work and she has a new partner who supports her the CSA will not assess her on his wages.

  • chall says:

    Bagpuss,

    Do you know when the agency first become involved (was it on or after the 03/03/03 OR before)?

    If it was before that date, your dads case (for your brother) may be subjected to phasing, if he opened a case for you against your mum.

    If after that date, does he receive a reduction for you, prior to his liability being calculated?

    It’s obvious you care greatly for your dad. It may be a good idea to see if he’s willing to post. It’s so difficult to give any advice pertaining to a case without knowing certain aspects.

    chall

  • stuart says:

    If you Dad has been issued with a DEO and he is struggling to pay this then he can contact the CSA and ask if they will take a lesser amount towards the arrears. If he owes a large amount of unpaid child support they might not be able to reduce the amount he is paying as they have to get the debt cleared in no more than 2 years

    Alice what law states the debt has to be cleared in 2 years?

    Should his ability to pay have been determined before a DEO was put in place.?

    Does it take into account debts? as a NRP could lose his home if he fails to pay debts and his credit rating affected lots of repruccussions for the NRP.

    Especially if the arrears are caused by maladministation, Is that fair a person should suffer all the above due to agency error?

    Interested on your views on this.

  • katy says:

    Alice,
    My Dad has opened a case against my mother but he gets very little because she doesnt earn as much as him. I understand the CSA will not assess the situation on her partners wages, but shouldn’t their highest priority be the welfare of the people involved? I still don’t understand. Our lives are just numbers to the CSA and because they don’t take people and real life into consideration I am facing eviction. I didn’t post on here to get more information about the CSA, I want answers why my Mother does not have to support her children.

    chall,
    The case was opened after 03/03/03. I have asked my dad to get help about this and he has agreed to check this site out. Look out for his post.

  • stuart says:

    Alice has left the building

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