CSA dealing with arrears

[bjenny594]

Several years ago I asked the CSA to reassess my ex's child maintenance contributions. Nothing happened so I assumed that they had done their checks and there was no change in his self-employed status. However it turns out that all that time he had a full-time job as well as being self-employed. It also turns out that the CSA had ignored my request for a reassessment and the request had just sat there on their computer for years until I asked again last year.

Naturally I'm annoyed with my ex for not declaring his real earnings, but I feel that the CSA are dragging their heels in sorting out his arrears. Whenever I phone them to check progress they tell me to phone back in 3 or 4 weeks. It's getting ridiculous. On a couple of occasions they have made me feel like I am being unreasonable with them, and sometimes I get the feeling that they want to keep their mistake quiet. They are also giving my ex every opportunity to delay and non-comply (he didn't supply his payslips, so they had to go to his employer), but they seem to being very sympathetic with him because his arrears are apparently 'massive' (I have NO idea what figure we're talking about), but never mind about how broke I am and what a difference some money would make to my DD.

Is this usual behaviour for the CSA? I've been thinking about writing to my MP and asking her to intervene and get things moving quicker. Am I being unreasonable?

No, YANBU. Writing to your MP can't do any harm, give it a go. I hope you get somewhere with it soon. The CSA are shite.

Thanks for the reply.

I forgot to ask also, does anyone have any experience of being paid arrears? Does it come in a lump sum or is it more likely that my ex will be asked to pay me an increased amount of maintenance until he has paid off his arrears?

Depends on how much savings he has I guess.

My XP paid his arrears off over a period of time.

I would suggest that you make a complaint and ask to be compensated, and keep pushing. CSA are shit

I was wondering if a lump sum would come from the CSA because they have admitted some fault, and my ex would then have to owe them. Or is that a fairytale ending that's never gonna happen?!!

I can't advise here at all.

All I can do is let you all into a bit of triv like stuff about the CSA:

Did you know that there is a special section within the CSA that deals with the claims and counter claims of people who are actually CSA employees?

Ha ha, that does't surprise me at all! I wondered how that would work!

I'm looking at the complaints procedure on the CSA website. The first thing they tell me to do is phone them!! That's what I've been doing for months, and getting nowhere! I think I might skip a few steps and write to the Complaints Resolution Team and cc it to the Independent Case Examiner and my MP.

I'm about to complain too, so we'll have to swap notes! If you search my name in the LP forum you can see why I'm going to complain, as I posted about it the other week. You can ring and ask how much arrears he owes and they have to tell you, so do that first, then you'll know where you stand. As for arrears, it's most likely that he'll end up paying them back bit by bit, so don't get your hopes up about a whopping great cheque winging it's way to you - if only!

Thanks for advice
I sent off my complaint today. I got a lot of inspiration from Googling 'CSA' and 'maladministration'. According to their guidelines they must respond within 2 days and sort it out within 15 days (working days obviously)... miracles might happen!

Kitty -I couldn't find your thread....what title did it have?

I have a letter from the CSA, dated some time in 1995, telling me that my ex owes me over £3000 in child support arrears. They have never lifted a finger since to actually get the money. Of course, the child in question is now coming up 22, so I don't suppose I'll ever get it - oh how we laugh when we come across that letter bitter much? moi? nahhhh

Mine owes me about £120,000 I imagine I'll receive it on the 12th of never. The CSA are fcuking hopeless ime keep phoning though daily if necessary its the only way to get them to DO anything.

God almighty!

(I assume you've already tried this...) If the arrears are due to mistakes made by the CSA you can go through the complaints system and perhaps get compensation or a consolatory payment.

Also Google a document called
"Financial Redress for Maladministration Special Payment Scheme: Policy and Guiding Principles April 2012"

The arrears are as a result of him refusing to pay and there's bugger all anyone is prepared to do about it. No legal aid for me to chase him and I can't afford to fight him so he's got away with it as so so many do.

Mosman, that's a sh*t situation.
I feel lucky to still have a chance of getting something.

My mum had an issue with the CSA (around 15 years ago) where she applied for an assessment of my dad, and got a letter telling her how much he'd be expected to pay dated almost two years to the day she originally requested the assessment!
Having read something in the news about a woman sucessfully sueing the CSA, she went straight to a solictor (with all her copies of her correspondance) and started proceedings against the CSA. They settled out of court and paid us two years worth of missed maintenance payments.
I believes it was all done on a "no win no fee" arrangement, or the CSA paid our solicitor's costs.

It might be worth speaking to atleast the CAB?