Self employed ex H and the useless CSA!

[QuizTeamAguilera]

My Ex H, who owns a business, keeps changing the way he is paid and therefore, stalling for time with the CSA. This is the third time he has done this and I am forced, once again, to take it to appeal.

He has removed himself as a director of his company and is apparently on the payroll. His accountant has told the CSA he now earns less than he used to - utter bollocks!! Nothing has changed in reality.

Is it really fair that there seems to be this loophole, allowing self employed parents to divert their income to avoid paying for their children?

He did this before and after a special case worker was assigned to sort him out, was forced to actually pay more. He paid regularly for almost a year and is now playing the same game.

I suspect his accountant is advising him and in the meantime we are not getting any money at all. He has been re-assessed as having to pay £16pw for two children, it's outrageous! Has anyone else had to deal with this sort of thing? The CSA seem powerless in this situation.

[corlan]

I have the same problem and I think about it a lot!

I think the CSA have their hands tied as long as there are loopholes for the self employed to divert income or claim everything as expenses.

I think we have a much bigger problem in our society where men somehow think they are being 'clever' by not paying support for their children. As you say, it's almost a game for some of them.

The other problem is that, as a society, we tolerate the behaviour of these men when I honestly believe we should shun them! They still have friends and their families don't disown them, whilst the women that stay and take all the financial burden of raising their children are often looked down on by society.

Things like drink driving and being casually racist used to be socially acceptable when I was a kid, but we've got past that now. I think we need to do something to change society's attitude to men that avoid paying support for their children as well. I'd write the scripts for the ads myself but I'm afraid there'd be too many swear words!

[Wereonourway]

My ex is self employed and this is the reason I have not been to CSA.

He cooks his books week in week out.

He is supposed to pay 20per week for one ds, at the minute I get it when he has it or basically when he fancies giving it to me.

CSA wouldn't be able to help as I know his income will reduce dramatically with next tax return so very little point in chasing it up.

Agree with pp about dads being "clever", its absolutely awful really.

In the case of my ex, his child support payments are his absolute last priority and its really quite shameful and there's nothing I will ever do to change his way of thinking or his attitude to it.

Hope you get it sorted op

[QuizTeamAguilera]

Evening both. You're absolutely right of course, it really is a concern of mine, why he feels the need to short-change his children. I truly believe it is ultimately to punish me and ensure I do not have any surplus income.

I work and make sure my two don't go without and my mother is a good help financially at times - I'm fortunate. But now my children are teenagers, I no longer make it a priority to cover for my ex H and the fact he isn't paying his share. I don't think it hurts for them to know.

[chitofftheshovel]

Unfortunately this has been going on for since the CSA first started and my parents divorced. My father owned his own business, built a new house, drove new cars etc and paid my mum jack shit. As a younger child I didn't really notice the difference between the two house-holds, but as I grew into my teenage years it became glaringly obvious. I still, to this day, think less of my father because of it.

It is outrageous that non-resident parents are able to shirk their responsibilities.

So no, it is not fair, it is not just and it is not right. Bloody CSA.