CSA question

[SingleMumAndProud]

Hi. I have been told by a few people that now that I have gone through the CSA for money from my husband, I won't get any of it as I am on Benefits. Is this true? I thought I would get the money but anybody I have said that to has disagreed. Bit gutted if they are right as there would of been no point in me going to the CSA in the first place!

You get it but it is taken off your benefits as income - minus the usual £15 you are allowed to earn. At least I thin htat is the way it works - either way you just get the £15 pw you are allowed as additional income.

Of course you do now have to go through CSA or they are allowed to stop all of your benefits so you don't get an awful lot of choice!

It's all disregarded by income support now, it used to be you got to keep £20, but now maintenance is disregarded completely

Really? I thought that was just the tax credit element? I may be out of date with the £15 though, it was a long time ago when i was earning whilst on IS IYSWIM.

No, it's changed very recently, this year I think. Speak to the lone parent advisor at the job centre, they're the best people for this kind of thing.

Ah right, well there you go Op, that sounds great! I have to say it is a part of the system that seriously needed looking at (well, like most parts of it really )!

I completely agree WHP, it made no sense to me when that rule changed, even though it makes me better off. It is incredibly unfair that there is such a massive disprepancy of potential income for lone parents on benefits now

So that means I get to keep the CM then?

Well, BooBoo certainly understands it that way, yes.

I would say that your best bet, if you need to know for sure, is to give a call to CAB who can look into it for you if they don't know the answer. If you are happy for them to know then BooBoo's suggestion of asking the lone parent adviser will get you the quickest answer and should be correct!

BooBoo, it seems silly to me as the reason it was taken into consideration before is that the Gov is supposed to top you up to a livable income not add to your income IYSWIM. How on earth has that reasoning changed?

Having said all of that I am still to be convinced that IS is a livable income

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The rules changed in April. Tbh, I would expect a Tory government to repeal that change as soon as they can so if I were you I'd get the CSA application done asap. Even if you apply tomorrow, you'd be lucky to see a penny before Easter, I'm still waiting for money from a claim that was opened in June

Boo - have they given any reasoning why your application is taking so long? I made my application on 3 September, first monthly payment arrived mid october :s

They are just shite. They are working on a 2 month backlog was their excuse. Your case is definately the exception rather than the rule unfortunately.

he rules have changed yes.

It may seem a little confusing that they don't count it as income but I think it is because hoe unreliable some nps can be and how rubbish the CSA are at enforcing it.

also, this way, it isn't as much a tool for the ex to use against the person claiming. If it isn't the only income - it isn't a bargaining tool or control point etc.

My case took 2 months to sort out. They were wrong with the assessment in as much as ex is self employed and they are unable to disprove what he is saying but it was still quicker then I had thought.

- shocking typos. I'm off to bed!