If you have a complaint about any aspect of the way your case has been dealt with by the CSA, you should initially write to the customer services manager either at the local social security office or at the relevant CSAC (either Hastings, Dudley, Plymouth, etc. - see below).
A complaint should be acknowledged within two working days and you should receive a full reply to your complaint within ten working days. However, in practice, a complaint is likely to take much longer to be dealt with. If your MP makes a complaint on your behalf, this should, however, be treated as a priority and dealt with within 20 working days.
If the you are still not satisfied, you should contact the manager of the CSAC or the CSA area manager. You may also wish to complain to the CSA's Chief Executive or inform your MP (if you haven't already done so). If you are not satisfied with how both the CSA and the CSA's Chief Executive have dealt with the complaint, you can take the complaint to the Independent Case Examiner. If your complaint concerns maladministration by the CSA, you can also make a complaint to the Parliamentary Ombudsman. However, if you are complaining to the Independent Case Examiner, the Ombudsman will not be able to take up the complaint until the Examiner has reached a decision.
Before complaining to the Examiner, you must have given the CSA an opportunity to settle the complaint. Before approaching the Examiner, you should have received a written reply to your complaint both from the office dealing with your case and from the CSA Chief Executive's office.
The Independent Case Examiner cannot deal with complaints relating to child support legislation, but only about the way in which the CSA has dealt with your case. You may wish to complain, for example, about excessive delays, mistakes, rudeness by CSA staff or the way in which the CSA has exercised its discretion.
The Independent Case Examiner will not normally be able to accept a complaint more than six months after you have received a reply from the CSA Chief Executive's office.
You must make your complaint in writing and should provide as much information as possible, including:-
name, address and telephone number
date of birth
CSA reference number (if known) and the name of the office or centre dealing with your case
details of replies you have already received from the CSA about the complaint
an explanation of what you are dissatisfied about
what you want the CSA to do to settle the complaint.
The Independent Complaints Examiner can be contacted at:-
Independent Case Examiner for the Child Support Agency
PO Box 155
Chester
CH99 9SA
Tel: 0151 801 8800
Child Support Agency Centres
Hastings
Ashdown House
Sedlescombe Road North
St Leonards on Sea
TN37 7NL
Tel: 0845 713 4000
Plymouth
Clearbrook House
Bickleigh Down Business Park
Plymouth
Devon
PL6 7TN
Tel: 0845 713 7000
Dudley
CSA Dudley
Post Handling Dept.
2 Weston Road
Crewe
CW98 1BB
Tel: 0845 713 1000
Birkenhead
CSA Birkenhead
Post Handling Dept.
2 Weston Road
Crewe
CW98 1BB
Tel: 0845 713 8000