To completely ignore these letters from CMS?

[Zaphodsotherhead]

My children are all grown up (mid/late 20's). I brought them up as a single parent and their father didn't pay for them (there are five children) for about five years, although he paid at the beginning and a little as the younger ones were turning 16/18 as he found a stable job then.

He was employed but kept changing job when they were younger and never got in touch with CSA, so stayed as assessed on his high earnings when he made the first payments. He currently still owes me around £13,000.

He has to pay me £200 a month to pay off the debt. He was paying regularly, then my payments stopped. I got a phone call from CSA saying they'd been collecting the payments and had 'lost' my details (all still the same) so I got a lump sum (most of which I gave straight to the children). I've had another letter, from CMS now, first letter said they'd got all my details. Second letter said that they'd stopped my payments 'pending the next review' (no date given for this 'review').

I think XH is still paying them, and they are holding on to the money (for whatever reason). I live alone, it would make a difference to me to get this £200 a month, but i don't want to depend on it if they are just going to stop it whenever they feel like 'losing' my details or just deciding to have another 'review'.

Sorry this is so long, but AIBU to just ignore all communication from CMS (except the inevitable phone call in about six months saying they've lost my details, could I update them, and they are sitting on a few thousand quid, which I will then receive in a lump sum)? Or are they up to something?

Just engage with them, seems to have more to gain than lose.

I wouldn't ignore it. They've put new regulations in place now to say that in certain situations they can close inactive accounts and debts without warning or agreement from the person it is owed to. I don't know what the exact criteria for that is, you might not meet it anyway, but I would want my account as active as possible!

Maybe with more input from people like yourself the system might actually start to function better for those who really need the money.. Ring them op.

Don’t ignore it. You’ll never get anything if you do

Thank you. I've had the letter stuck to my fridge for a few weeks, and I keep eyeballing it and thinking 'in what universe (or job) is it acceptable to say we are withholding your money pending a review and not give any kind of date for said review'?

I'm going to ring them and at least ask for a date for this review. As summertimeatthebeach says, every kick to the system might help someone else.

It is understandable that you're annoyed - but if you don't contact them you are cutting your nose off to spite your face!

I wouldn’t ignore them - continue to engage with whatever they ask for.

But I would mentally write the money off and not consider it at all in budgets etc - then if you get it and/or get lump sums you can consider it a ‘bonus’ iyswim? Without it negatively affecting your lifestyle in the months you don’t get it.

Sorry, double post.

Well done op

We the CSA collecting the money from his earnings?

I was in this position but on the changeover to CMS they stopped this and it took a hell of a long time and an official complaint to restart this again.

It might be they have stopped collecting money from him, and are giving him the same chance my ex had to pay himself, despite the fact he never paid a penny voluntarily in the past.

I would get onto them, contact your MP and put in official complaint if they mess you around. It was only once I did this that they magically started to get their act together.

I think I'm more concerned with what is happening to the money, if they are collecting it, keeping it and then paying it all to me in 'lump sums' - are they collecting interest from having it all in an account somewhere? I know he's paying, and they have all my details, so why do I have to wait for a review?

The CSA were pretty useless when the kids were smal (loads of letters about all the sanctions they could apply to him, but never did) so I don't place much faith in the CMS. It's more of an academic question really. I'm going to ring them when I can sit on the phone for hours and don't have work to get to!

I dont understand why you wouldnt contact them

Because what am i going to say araiwa? I'm going to spend half an hour on the phone waiting to speak to someone, who is going to say 'yeah, you have to wait for your review....blah blah blah, a load of bollocks that means nothing'. I know they aren't going to tell me WHY they are holding onto money that I know is being paid. I know they aren't going to tell me when the review is.

All my phone call is going to do is remind them I exist.

Been there, done that, spent hours on 'hold' and being passed from pillar to post. What I want to know is where is the money currently and why is it not being paid directly to me? And I know they won't tell me that.

To be honest, just recently I've found the CMS to be a lot better at answering the phone and actually giving you answers to questions, so you might be pleasantly surprised.

Thanks Knob. As I've said, I am going to ring them, but it has to wait until Monday (I'm working all weekend and don't have time to converse with them).

And before anyone says 'you could do it now' - I'm not at home, so I don't have the letter with all my references on!

Contact the ombudsman and ask them to investigate for you. CSA wrongly withheld thousands my ex h had paid and I got it and compensation...eventually!