Child maintenance service- just starting..

[MorrowTreasure]

Just applied to CMS and have made an account and given them all my ex husbands details.
They’ve texted him apparently. He’s messaged me saying he needs all the account PIN numbers etc to look up the account.
I’m not sure about this-is it just my account or is it shared? Seems odd I have to give him all the information? He’s abusive and I’m trying not to communicate as much as possible with him so am wondering if this is another way of trying to get to me?
Surely the CMS deal with him without me having to? Does anyone know?

Also I’ve just seen although I asked for the collect and pay that they have asked him whether he’d like to direct pay which I think he will choose so he can mess about paying less or not at all to get me to engage. Can I ask just for collect and pay? Can’t see online how to directly ask for that? Can’t see how to contact them-is it just by phone?

He will have his own log in you don't send him yours

He doesn’t need your sign in details. He makes his own. Don’t give it; he can cancel the claim if he has your sign in info.

Regarding collect and pay; you can’t ask for that right away. He has to be given a chance to pay directly. The reason for this is because collect and pay has a fee. They can’t put him on collect and pay and charge the fee without first giving him a chance to pay. I haven’t had this issue for several years so it may have changed but he has to be 5 working days late for it to even count as late, and if he does pay later than that then they’ll give him a couple of chances before moving him to collect and pay. Just call them each and every time he pays late.
Each year, they’ll give him the option again and he can go back to direct pay and then you do the whole thing again.

I wanted to go for collect and pay also but it defaults to direct pay. Its down to the paying parent to comply. I read online that they were considering scrapping direct pay for all paying parents and everyone would go onto collect and pay. Not sure that will go ahead though. It was supposedly a way to avoid abuse amd ensure parents comply.

i think the cms are bull, try and do something private if its possible. They are a living nightmare to get hold of!

Ok thanks. I thought he must be having me on trying to get my log in details. He hasn’t paid me directly before and it’s been 14 years so I think he won’t now! But good to know I can request it after he doesn’t a couple of times. It will only be the flat rate as well.

Op do not give him your log in details he will have his own. Also see if they will backdate the claim??