Why won’t the CSA hand over my money?

I cannot begin to explain how absolutely sick and tired I am of the CSA.

I have now been dealing with them for 10 years and they are the bane of my life. Initially they were unable to get themselves organised enough to obtain any moeny from my ex-husband.

Finally, after about 7 years they managed to pin him down. By this point he owed me in the region of £18K. He agreed to a voluntary deduction of earnings of £420 per month – £390 for maintenance, £30 for arrears. Simple, you’d think. CSA take the money from him, CSA pay the money to me.

No.

To start with, their systems were unable to cope with him giving them ‘that much money’ because at some point they’d decided to enter £30 into their systems. I was told it would take them 3 months to change this so they would have to hold each payment as it cam in until they could make the amendment. I contacted my MP who very kindly stepped in and they paid the money – so apparenty, when pushed, they could do it quicker.

Since then (for a few years now) I seem to hit a brick wall with them every three months or so.They receive the money. They don’t pay it out.

Why?

Most of the time no one seems to know. One suggested cause is that their systems are only able to cope with a finite number of payments coming into their bank and any over that amount fall into a ‘black hole’. The last time this happened I was told that they had my money but it would take them 21 working days to make the payment. I told them I was not standing for that. After speaking to his supervisor the operator told me they would make the payment in 5 days. Once again, when pushed they can act quicker.

Last month I hadn’t received my money. I spoke to an extremely unhelpful girl who just kept telling me the case was being reviewed as there could have been a change in my ex-husbands earnings. This advice was completely unfounded. The bottom line was that they had received the money on the 11th October, but never paid it to me until 5th November – despite their own promise of 5 days. She refused to put me through to a supervisor and told me sho wouldn’t exclate my issue as I ‘don’t have a case worker’

I had to call the CSA yesterday. My call from last month hadn’t even been logged by the useless and unhelpful operator.

This months excuse for me not receiving my money. They have the money, but have decided to review the case to make sure that my ex-husband has caught up with his arrears. They can hold my money for up to 28 days whilst they do this.

Back to the start of my story. The £420 per month that Ireceive is made up of £390 maintenance and £30 arrears. The CSA are depriving my children of £390 whilst they check that the £30 should still be paid. On top of which, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that £18K of arrears isn’t anywhere near being paid off.

Why hadn’t they written to explain that they would be holding the payment? It’s not the policy of the CSA (to be helpful).

Don’t they understand that this cash is being used to clothe and feed children? How can you rely on it as a source of income if you don’t know from one month to the next if you are going to receive it.

I have asked for the CSA to write to me and explain what they are doing and to offer me their assurances that once they have completed this paper pushing exercise the whole thing will run like clockwork.

I won’t hold my breath.