CSA Payments

[Gonzo33]

I had to go to the CSA to get payment from my ex husband because he doesn't believe he should contribute to his childs upbringing.

Anyway this has mainly worked reasonably well over the last 8 years. However over the last two years payments have been getting later and later, to the point that I still have not received payment from them for a payment they received from the exes employers on December 24th.

I have called them and spoken with them. One person stated in January that it would be 21 working days. This is now up, so I called again and they told me the same thing.

What I want to know is how long they can hold that money. We live overseas due to my husbands job and I really need to book flights for my son to go back to have contact with his father.

When I asked the "case worker" told me in no uncertain terms that I should make a private arrangement with my ex. Thing is, if I could I would, but he is not really the type of person you negotiate anything with.

I have written a letter of complaint today and sent it, but is there anything else I can do?

I wish I could suggest something, we are having our battle with the c/a too, they wrote to us in november telling dh they owed him £1800, great....but we still haven't got it.

He rings every week, they say they'll action it, then you ring the next week and they have no recollection of the phone call so you start again. It drives you mad doesn't it, but they have you over a barrel.

It does drive you mad. I had that problem when they assessed my ex. It took 18 months to do that and then a further 6 months to actually pay out what they took from his earnings.

What makes me laugh is they are going to start charging for the benefit. For what exactly?

I know that I am better off than some (believe me moving round the world is not cheap even with Army assistance) but it is so dreadful a service.

A few years ago when this happened before I needed a boiler for my house in the dead of winter and the operator on the phone said to me the money is for the benefit of the child only not for you to pay for a new boiler. I said "So an 18 mth old doesn't need hot water and heating?"

Unbelieveable.