Child Support Help?

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 216
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I’ve had a case with my ex partner since October/November 2009 and he’s repeatedly ignored the CSA's calls and never made any payments directly to me or through the CSA, plus he’s lived in roughly 8 different residences in the last 18 months, so he’s been difficult to track down by an address.
In November 2010 they tried to apply for a deduction of earnings order and his job (NCP car parks) have been less than helpful, apparently their payroll department kept giving the person that works on my case a fax number to contact them which didn’t actually exist. The adviser working on my case said he was going to write NCP a “very grumpy letter” :D But he said it would take extra time. That was at the start of December, so I phoned back this week for an update. I was basically given the standard “there’s no payments, they haven’t made contact yet” reply :( She didn’t specify whether that contact was with my ex or with NCP and there wasn’t even a mention of the letter in my notes. I was told I’d get a call back from the person working on my case in the next 48 hours but I didn’t get a call back and that was 4 days ago.

I just seem to be hitting walls every step of the way so far, so I was basically wondering if anyone here knew if there’s anything else I can do, what to expect next, and why everything has been dragged out for so long. I don't even know how often i should be phoning for updates! Thank you :)

I've just posted an almost identical post on the MoneySavingExpert forum, in case anyone sees that, it's no coincidence and i'm not trolling :o:D

Comments

  • timewarpbunnytimewarpbunny Posts: 463
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    Hi Aimee,

    Unfortunately using the CSA can be a long and drawn out process, they have so many protocols to adhere to. Do you know if your case is with criminal compliance yet? If not request it be sent to that department. His employer can be heavily fined for not adhering to a deductions from earnings order. If they've got this far, the end is in sight! You do have to keep phoning the CSA though for updates, I was phoning once a week and it took 6 years to get anything from my ex (who incidentally has just dropped off the radar again).

    Hope this helps
  • DeniseDenise Posts: 12,961
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    All I can suggest is you keep on phoning them, more chance they will follow things up.

    I have been waiting six years so far for a successful outcome of a claim, starting to think my son will be an adult before I succeed :(
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 435
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    Denise wrote: »
    All I can suggest is you keep on phoning them, more chance they will follow things up.

    I have been waiting six years so far for a successful outcome of a claim, starting to think my son will be an adult before I succeed :(

    I've also been waiting 6 years, I got told 3 years ago they had tracked him down and i would start receiving £7 a week, well I didnt receive a penny. Called back a few months later and they said they would let me know. 8 calls from me later, they finally admitted that he had changed jobs and again they couldnt track him down. its been like that ever since.
    They also mentioned that come April this year if i still hadnt received what he owed (which is now around £6k) they would confiscate his drivers license and passport, but I'm sure thats just another excuse to fob me off.
  • spotyspoty Posts: 11,195
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    If you work or just have your own money they don't care. If you are on benifits they will stalk the dad and take money out of his wages, perhaps £50 a week, but you can only get £11 of that.

    They do not care about extra money for the children..
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 216
    Forum Member
    They did track him down once, to his sisters address in February/March 2010 and i was sent a letter saying how much he was in arrears to me (It was around £180 at that point, i can only hope it's more now). I don't even know where i stand with the back pay, whether it's been building up or just...frozen :confused:
    They haven't mentioned criminal compliance although i did read that his employer can be fined, they're a big company so i don't know why they'd risk it.
    I am on benefits due to it being a violent relationship (I feel i have to justify it, i'd prefer to be working :o), i'm working on building up my mental health and non existent confidence before i start working again...and although i don't remember telling them i'm on benefits i applied so long ago i can't even remember if they asked lol.
  • DeniseDenise Posts: 12,961
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    spoty wrote: »
    If you work or just have your own money they don't care. If you are on benifits they will stalk the dad and take money out of his wages, perhaps £50 a week, but you can only get £11 of that.

    They do not care about extra money for the children..

    Your information is out of date, these days child maintenance does not effect benefits.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,179
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    Denise wrote: »
    Your information is out of date, these days child maintenance does not effect benefits.

    how does it work please? :)
  • DeniseDenise Posts: 12,961
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    how does it work please? :)

    Simply that those on benefits now keep all the child maintenance they receive, it's all on the website:

    http://www.csa.gov.uk/en/case/child-maintenance-changing.asp

    This of course makes a big divide how much money different lone parents get while on benefits. A single mum with 4/5 kids able to get their child maintenance is going to be rather well off. A lone parent with one child and no maintence is bottom of the pile.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,140
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    Yep know how you feel, my partner is currently chasing her wee boy's dad for payments, it is all through the CSA and everything was going well until he left the Army last year and dropped off the face of the earth, what made it more annoying is when he was claiming JSA he made contact with his son and was visiting him, now he has his a job and is back with his wife and his other son he has never been heard from since.

    He must owe a good couple of hundred now but the CSA can't find him.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 216
    Forum Member
    Sorry i had to bump but i needed a mini rant :mad:

    Just phoned for an update and the first person i spoke to said "You haven't received any payments yet which is unfortunate. That should've been sorted out by now." Well you would think so. He then passed me on to another person who said they were "waiting for confirmation of employment details". They've been waiting for them since October so i'm not even sure if they've managed to get in contact with NCP yet.
    Apparently the guy that works on my case is supposed to be phoning me back later (AKA in the next 48 hours) but they forgot last time so i'm not getting my hopes up! Literally feel like i'm banging my head in to a brick wall when i keep getting told practically the same thing every time i phone.
  • What name??What name?? Posts: 26,623
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    You are wasting your phone bill. I know people whose children have grown up without the CSA bothering to do anything about child support. The system doesn't work.
  • Feed The ReaperFeed The Reaper Posts: 7,135
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    Can you not just take the names and departments of those that are dealing with it and when they let you down again write a formal complaint to the CSA about how poorly you have been treated?

    I cant say that it is going to help too much but any complaints made about their staff are directed towards their heads who will look at why their is a complaint and if there are grounds for it, they will also try to resolve your situation quickly to avoid any action taken against them by personally following up the case and seeing what is happening.

    You may not get very much further but your complaint is going to get noticed and will rattle a few people into pulling fingers out.

    The sad fact of the matter is that they are under-staffed and under-funded and bogged down by too much pointless red tape and too few actual powers to chase them down. That is the governments fault for not tightening it up. The fact is that as soon as he had an employer and had failed to make payments they should have the power to force an employee to direct payments, not have to write "grumpy letters!" and piss about for months getting around to it.

    So every call you make to CSA, at the end get into the habit of saying "and can I just take your name please? ...... and what department is it you are on?.... thank you!" and keep a record and then if you do not get a phoneback after 48 hours, ring them straight away, dont leave it for 2 or 3 more days just in case, just get back and hassle them, taking more names and departments and after you done this about 4 or 5 times over the next 2 weeks with you getting nowhere, just jot it all down in a strongly worded letter naming the staff and departments and very basic outlines of what each said and send it to CSA, then give it a week for them to contact you.

    I also have to say that I can understand your frustration and the fact he had a child with you, has abandoned it and wont help with its upbringing including financial costs is extremely frustrating, you do have to look at whether the stress involved, the hassle of all the calls.... whether all of that is worth the £180, and whether that money is going to make a single bit of difference to your life once you spend it within the first couple of weeks or so of having it?
    I just think that if you have been through a violent and horrible experience with him that has destroyed your lifestyle because you are struggling to work and have no confidence, then maybe you need to let the stress go, be thankful that he is out of your life for good and try to move on and forget the money and instead concentrate on getting better, rebuilding your self confidence and inner strength and hopefully with this you will soon find the strength to get out there in the workplace again and earning far, far more than you are spending years chasing down.
    Just an idea and I know that isnt fair on you that has done no wrong and is entitled to it, but in the bigger picture the world isnt always fair and just, and that sometimes your own health and sanity is worth so much more than a mere £180.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 216
    Forum Member
    Can you not just take the names and departments of those that are dealing with it and when they let you down again write a formal complaint to the CSA about how poorly you have been treated?

    I cant say that it is going to help too much but any complaints made about their staff are directed towards their heads who will look at why their is a complaint and if there are grounds for it, they will also try to resolve your situation quickly to avoid any action taken against them by personally following up the case and seeing what is happening.

    You may not get very much further but your complaint is going to get noticed and will rattle a few people into pulling fingers out.

    The sad fact of the matter is that they are under-staffed and under-funded and bogged down by too much pointless red tape and too few actual powers to chase them down. That is the governments fault for not tightening it up. The fact is that as soon as he had an employer and had failed to make payments they should have the power to force an employee to direct payments, not have to write "grumpy letters!" and piss about for months getting around to it.

    So every call you make to CSA, at the end get into the habit of saying "and can I just take your name please? ...... and what department is it you are on?.... thank you!" and keep a record and then if you do not get a phoneback after 48 hours, ring them straight away, dont leave it for 2 or 3 more days just in case, just get back and hassle them, taking more names and departments and after you done this about 4 or 5 times over the next 2 weeks with you getting nowhere, just jot it all down in a strongly worded letter naming the staff and departments and very basic outlines of what each said and send it to CSA, then give it a week for them to contact you.

    I also have to say that I can understand your frustration and the fact he had a child with you, has abandoned it and wont help with its upbringing including financial costs is extremely frustrating, you do have to look at whether the stress involved, the hassle of all the calls.... whether all of that is worth the £180, and whether that money is going to make a single bit of difference to your life once you spend it within the first couple of weeks or so of having it?
    I just think that if you have been through a violent and horrible experience with him that has destroyed your lifestyle because you are struggling to work and have no confidence, then maybe you need to let the stress go, be thankful that he is out of your life for good and try to move on and forget the money and instead concentrate on getting better, rebuilding your self confidence and inner strength and hopefully with this you will soon find the strength to get out there in the workplace again and earning far, far more than you are spending years chasing down.
    Just an idea and I know that isnt fair on you that has done no wrong and is entitled to it, but in the bigger picture the world isnt always fair and just, and that sometimes your own health and sanity is worth so much more than a mere £180.

    Thanks for the detailed response :) I have the name of the person that's working on my case, or his first name at least, i didn't even think of taking anyone else's names because they were just relaying the "notes". I was planning on phoning back on Wednesday if i didn't get a call back, but i didn't know if there was much point if they were just going to say they were still waiting for "confirmation of his employment details". It seems to me as though they can't be arsed to fine NCP.
    The last paragraph definitely gave me food for thought, as i've been told similar things by my family about rebuilding my life etc, and sometimes it does feel as though i'm having to do things to keep dragging him back from the past. And i think what's always gotten to me is that i was told when i finished the relationship that organizations like the CSA and HRMC were there to help me, and so far they've both made things more stressful than it already was, and its certainly been an eventful 5 years. On the bright side, just over a year ago i couldn't even speak on the phone to things like the CSA, i had a support worker doing it for me, so i guess i have made some slow progress :)
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