cms don't seem very with it

[tiddlesthetortoise]

i'm just using the cms for the first time and they really don't seem to be very with it at all
first of all i rang them to get an official estimate of ex's income, a few months ago, and i've no idea what they said to him but they managed to create a shtstorm where there hadn't previously been one - suddenly I got a load of angry/nasty messages from him and had to put in work myself to pacify ex and get him to agree to pay money directly to me - but it's ended up being a third less than he was paying before (and more than I deserve, according to him..)
I then intended to just close the case and say sod it, but the next guy i spoke to at the cms seemed fairly with it and he told me that i shouldn't close the case before at least hearing back from the income assessment
this week i spoke to someone else at the cms, and they were really pushing me to just close the case, would have done it on the spot, and if it hadn't have been for the advice I got from the guy before, I probably would have just gone along with it. But because I'd been advised that I should get the results of the income assessment first, I started asking some questions.
Through asking the questions, I discovered there is a huge difference between what ex has told me, what he has told the cms and the truth. for example, ex has told them that he has 4 of his children living with him when I know for a fact he has only 1 and the others are resident with his first wife apart from the odd weekend. Apparently him only having 1 resident with him means he would owe me more than the calculation they have done so far. Also for example, they haven't checked at all about his rental income from buy to let properties. I told them about the properties when I first contacted them but they never even asked him about it. So again, the amount he owes would be higher. They can't tell me how much higher and just suggest 25% as a ball park figure. They can only give me exact figures by asking him to give them proof of things and trying to prove if he's hiding anything.
They just seem completely inept - and the guy I spoke to most recently didn't even want to answer the questions I was asking, just kept pushing me to close the case. I had to keep repeating 'yes but that's not what I asked you , I asked you 'xyz'', until he told me what was on his screen.
They say the only other option right now is to go back to ex and ask for proof of his income etc etc (which apparently takes ages - months?).
If they go back to ex it's going to cause the same shtstorm and he's likely to lower (again) the amount he offers to me willingly..
..is it even worth it? The cms just seem to be messing around. I've paid £20 to them to do the checks and they haven't done anything properly - do I complain about that? Or just drop it? I've already spent about 3-4 hours in total on the phone to them.
Does anyone here have experience of using them, is it better to just take any money offered by an ex willingly and walk away?

[starry0ne]

I only get £5 a week from CSA... So different place..

However... I would advise you keep going with it...It is likley to help long term...If you close the case then what he owes will not be back dated

[Dee03]

Oh gawd...Ive recently changed to the new CMS, paid my £20 on 19th January and have heard nothing from them since....only I rung them yesterday and I was told that xh did eventually return there call and told them there has been a change in his circumstances (no idea what this could be) so they've sent him a form and given him another 2 weeks to return the form before they start reassessing him.....
I was hoping they would be better than the old CSA but maybe that's wishful thinking

[2flyforwifi2]

Stick with it!! Ask who your case worker is. You should have one assigned to you. Do not discuss cms or money with your ex and do not accept any money from him until it is sorted. It does take ages! But worth it in the end. Theres nothing worse than feeling like you have to ask/beg your ex for money. The cms are hopeless though. I found once I only dealt with my case worker things were easier as he knew the background story. If you ring and get random cms workers all they have is tiny bits of info on a computer screen. Why on earth should you close the case. You paid to get this sorted out. Plus if you close the case you wont be entitled to any arrears x

[bibliomania]

Prepare yourself for a long road to get there, but it's worth it (sometimes). Ask for a date by which each stage should be done, and if/when that date is passed, ask to be passed to the Complaints team. Ask them to give you a date for when it will be resolved, and if/when that date is passed, go to your MP. Tell your MP what the timeline has been to date.

I'm still with CSA rather than CMS and they're ridiculously slow. ExH had some change to his employment last Oct - still doing similar hours with same employer - and my payments have had to be recalculated and I haven't had a penny in the 5 months since.

[QuiteLikely5]

I really wish mumsnet would launch a campaign about the farce that is CM. It really shouldn't be so hard to get people to pay for their own bloody children!

Come on MN get DC on here to discuss it

[Amy214]

Stick with it, ive had a case with them for 2 years now and they have always managed to get what we are owed, they collect the money for me there is charges 20% for him and 4% for me it does add up but at least that way you are guaranteed something