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Not sure how much more I can take CMS

8 replies

barregirl1 · 17/02/2021 21:25

Honestly I have no idea what this agency is set up to do nor any idea why people are forced into the CMS system 🤣

So I divorced in 2013 leaving an abusive marriage. And got a court order for maintenance. (Decided during meditation that was the quickest, safest and cheapest way to leave - so I left with very little)

But he didn’t pay child maintenance so eventually in October 2017 I tried to enforce which resulted in more abuse to both myself and DC. In early 2018,ex-h applies to the CMS. The effect - a five figure sum owed written off. When they finally calculate his liability they then say that despite his 6 figure salary (as self-employed they didn’t have to take into account dividend income) I could receive £17.50 per week.

My MP gets involved and they will take into account dividend income (six months later).
And hence owed sums of high four figure sum payable but he has 12 months to make up. ( Albeit that by now my credit rating is already affected as I’ve missed a mortgage payment and mortgage payments higher as moved into variable rate from fixed rate and can’t refix as in an arrear).

It goes on and on.

And possession order on the house and other payments not made.

Roll forward to now - no payments for so long. Credit rating dropped by nearly 700 points.

I haven’t even bothered to contact them. They do nothing and enforce nothing. He hardly sees my youngest and hasn’t seen my eldest in 2.5 years. But according to CMS they have regular stays unless I can prove otherwise.

Since January multiple letters from CMS, he should pay £782per month, he should pay nothing and I owe him?😂 (for what - he pays nothing and doesn’t have the kids). Apparently he has the kids every week per CMS letter today. And another letter today states that he should pay £23 between now and next review date (Feb 22).

To write it all on here would be endless but I’m slightly at a loss as to what this organisation is for other than to continue the enablement of financial abuse.

OP posts:
SqeakyHindge · 18/02/2021 01:06

CMS are not fit for purpose, never have been and soon as 1st lockdown happened they only wanted to speak to NRP about how not to pay. Think mine has them on speed dial!

Mumsnet, Gingerbread, The Goodlaw project are all involved in the #fixthecms campaign.

It’s worth having look at Twitter at #fixthecms good way to follow those in similar situations and give more insight.

I don’t know if in the money matters section someone in legal section can advise re: mortgage or what financial help you maybe able to get.

bonfireheart · 18/02/2021 01:09

They are awful. Nothing gives me more stress n heartbreak than dealing with CMS.

Blacktothepink · 18/02/2021 01:11

The CSA was a fucking joke too...I received nothing for my 2 Angry

SqeakyHindge · 18/02/2021 01:15

Oh yes the CSA, I remember them they wiped out the debt!

FancySomeChips · 18/02/2021 01:32

I get nothing for mine.
It’s a struggle but I rely on him for nothing, he can’t hurt us.
I had 2 children because this is how many I could fund myself without any support. Low and behold it went tits up but we are ok-ish because I refused to play the cms/csa game of hitting my head against a brick wall.
If you can, walk away from it. Expect nothing. It’s much less painful, albeit unfair. But life is unfair especially for women.

unicornsarereal72 · 18/02/2021 07:51

They are in affective. I've given up after three years. Although I do agree they should have more teeth. What kind of parent does their utmost to not support their children. It baffles me.

Justriseaboveitkiddo · 18/02/2021 22:42

Sorry I have nothing useful to say but in your post OP you said...
" according to CMS they have regular stays unless I can prove otherwise."

This is very interesting because the CMS said exactly the same thing to my dp (nrp) when he argued that his ex is lying about contact time. I wonder if they work on a first come first served basis on who to believe about contact time?

Dp had some issues with exw and maintenance after he was made redundant so CMS involved and to begin with they wanted him to pay nearly twice as much as the wage he was now earning in new job (part time, min wage). They really couldn't get their heads round the year being 2021 and not 2018 which was the salary they were trying to base his payments on.
I haven't had to have any direct dealings with them but they seem like they have actually surpassed the good old DVLA in their utter uselessness!!!

barregirl1 · 21/02/2021 20:19

Thank you for your messages 😊

Weirdly I had walked away - and have received nothing for a long time. I got back in contact with them recently only because they said that I owed ex-DJ money because he’d overpaid. (I’ve received both for a long time) Just wanted to not be liable for money that he’d supposedly overpaid when I’ve received nothing.
In the past six weeks I have received letters stating:1) I owe him £180
2) he should pay £780 pm
3) he should pay £1250 pcm
4) he should pay £650 pcm
5) dd is accepted to be in full-time education
6 she isn’t
7) various re ds’s supposed contact with him

I am lucky that I am now back in ft work and dc are old enough not to need childcare.

But I feel for those that aren’t

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