CSA and self employed fathers

[jammiedodger79]

I have not surprisingly found my children have fallen victim to one of the oldest tricks in the book. Father pays tax on a quarter of his earnings as this is all that is declared to CSA. Call CSA who confirm that they are not allowed to work out the child maintenence payments via the fathers bank statements or payslips only on the tax they decide to pay. I am then given 2 options..1) work out the child maintenence calculations based on actual wage and come to an agreement between ourselves. As predicted i was told to sing for it, be grateful for the lower amount he gives and to stop being greedy as i obviously have plans to spend it all on myself. Option number 2) report it as fraud....and the response to that again predictably was that i will not get another penny out of him and if i go that route he will drop his hours to one day a week and see how i like the amount the kids get then.
So.....when claiming benefits or anything at all means tested they all are allowed and request 3-6 months bank statements. I have no understanding why this is not alllowed with child maintenance as would be fair, simple and solve many cases of child poverty. Maybe because the main culprits are men? I know gingerbread are campaigning to make the system fairer but why on earth has it gone on so long and why are we putting up with it? I have looked at the online petitions to get started but have no experience with fighting systems like this for an obvious fairer change. Can anyone advise on how to start something? Its an absolute disgrace.

Sorry to be pedantic but the CSA has now been replaced by the CMS which is the Child Maintenance Service.

The law does need changing yes as to the non paying fathers. There should be a system whereby the maintenance is deducted out of their bank account when their monthly salary is paid or monthly even when they are self-employed based on their average annual income.

The reason it hasn't been looked into is because the patriarchy is in charge and is also at fault.

You could lobby with your local MP/councillors but I doubt you would get very far.

My ex has managed to get away without paying any maintenance at all. Apparently he doesnt work or claim benefits The system is very wrong, he must be doing something, but all I get is “try to find out” Bit difficult seeing as he absent!

If the shoe was on the other foot the system would soon make sure women were penalised for not paying. It is a man's world which we quickly find out upon becoming a parent.

It is the same injustice with the social stigma of single parenting. If a man finds himself in that role which can occasionally happen, he is praised and admired by society. If however a female single parent is left taking care of her children on her own then we are judged and maligned by many. Not a fair world it simply isn't!

PollyPelargonium52

I could not agree more with your last paragraph, I was googling something recently and I put in “are single mothers..” and the suggestions were “easy” and “less desirable” so just out of interested I typed “are single fathers..” and got “attractive” and “better parents”

Slightly off point but until men start producing babies there will never be any real equality between the sexes and the world will never improve. Such is life!

I don’t think the attitude ‘it will never improve’ is helpful. It can change but there has to be a massive shift in how society views the issue for that to happen. It is important to speak up, to challenge the blatant misogyny when spouted at you (‘why would you say that?’ ‘Would you say that if I were a father?’) and to see it as a fight. I have been battling for 10 years and had the grand total of about £150 in all that time for 3 children. I accept it is unlikely to make a difference to me but maybe my speaking up will make a difference to those who follow me.

Until legislation changes such that absent fathers pay maintenance from e.g. attachment of earnings through payslips etc. or until something is done about misleading self employment figures which are fictitious then many women will be financially shortchanged and children and mothers may grow up in poverty which simply isn't on. While the absent father gets off scotfree and moves on in no time to another woman. How another woman cannot see through them is beyond me. You would think she would clock on you really would.