CSA Maintenance Payments going to stop ... I'm fucked

[wabbit]

So at last he's dealt the blow he's been cooking up for the last year and a half... A Police Detective who's previously worked for the UN and has high hopes of bringing his very lucrative pension plans to fruition in about 8 years... Has managed to convinced the CSA that he's a non-earner!!!

I'm just sad payments that really wouldn't have made any tangible difference to his single/or co-habiting with v comfortably off lawyer partner but that made all the world of difference to me, dd and ds are going to stop - and i get the letter the day before ds is 3

I know well that xp will not have left the force... he may well have taken up another opportunity to work for the UN, but he will not have given up his job which to give the bastard man some credit, he's totally dedicated to.

So, from where I stand... no contact with him or any of his family. (his decision) What can I do?
What I'd like to find out is whether he's working for a new force... or the UN... or if indeed he's somehow fallen foul of the system and been sacked. (no way, not him!)

Of course I want payments to continue... it's keeping the roof (just about) over our heads

this sounds crap - can you ask the CAB for advice?

Just rang them and their computers are down until the 24th - it feels like crap Podrick, it really does.

Thanks Fio, was wondering if my solicitor would be able to do anything - she's met him and knows he's very money motivated.

Apparently CSA are doing an 'upgrade'
Must say, up 'til now i've had very good relationship with them, mind you exP couldn't really get away from them being a policeman.

Well, he's getting the reation he wanted - I'm upset

You can apply for a variation based on lifestyle incompatible with stated earnings. He can also be tracked through his tax if he is a uk tax payer but this would need to be done in about 3 months if he has just changed jobs. The check takes around six weeks and you need to be on the phone literally every day hassling them. It does work though.

Thanks newforold... I'll be on the phone as soon as i can to do this, In the meantime I don't really know how I'm going to make up the £427 shortfall each month. 3 months sounds like such a long time before I get any idea of what's really happening... I'm thinking that he'll have to continue to pay british taxes if he's working abroad.

In the unlikely event that he's moved to be with family in Austrailia, can the CSA still persue him for maintenance? He'd only do this if it was worth while financially btw.

Oh yes the Australian's are shit hot and put an attachment of earnings on if he misses one payment, the problem is getting our CSA to pursue him unless you are on benefits, ie there's something in it for them.
Keep chasing them, he cannot get away with this.

Thanks KatieDD and Herbietea... exP left his first payment until they were at the point of placing a deductions of earnings on him... his job is very sensitive to outstanding debt as you can imagine. Paying for his son is the most humiliating thing for him... he's pathologically proud.

I don't understand it either!

hi wabbit, sorry I don't have anything to add to the excellent advice folk have posted, just wanted to check how you are & if you did anything nice yesterday in the sunshine

we had a wonderful day yesterday my bf's family were celebrating a 40th at a lovely farmshop/restaurant with playground and beautiful scenery... I put exP out of my head and just enjoyed being with people who ARE caring and loving

Thankyou so much for asking

I've decided that as I can't do anything until the CSA have computers up and running... I'm damned well not going to let anyone (certainly not ex) take the shine off ds's birthday weekend

oh that's great, good for you & a very happy birthday to your ds

Update now the CSA are back up and running - according to his case notes and contact details... he's taking a 'career break'

Apparently there's nothing they can do to pursue the veracity of his statement other than check with the Met that he's not on payroll and then wait for me to have left it for a sufficient period of time to request they reassess the case.

Things are clicking into place though... he's definitely had a clear-out of his house as he's found ds's birth certificate and sent it to my solicitor for me to pick up... he's on the move somewhere ... this man knows his holiday entitlement to the last second. He wouldn't have a career break - he loves it!

fuck fuck fuckity fuck! bollocks. really am scuppered

oh no - hope things get sorted for you

Thanks FAQ - unlike your H my ex is a slippery bastard very reluctant to pay his due to his boy ... I have another battle on my hands is all, and just need some way of making ends meet and keep a roof over our heads

wabbit I'm afraid I have no advice but shedloads of sympathy. your dh decides to take a "career break" without a second thought for the financial implications for his children angry]. what a fecking arse. I know you don't need me to tell you this but it makes me so angry that people (usually men) can just walk away from their responsibilities like this and leave other people (usually women) to handle the fall out. sounds to me like he's having a career-driven sabbatical - so I bet he'll be back before too long. get to your solicitor and/or cab. at least see if you can find out how long this career break is going to be. and see if there's anything you can do to help with the shortfall. is there any way could hammer him when he gets back from his "career break" for costs incurred while he's not being paying anything?

it's bloody unfair this CSA crap - wankers like your ex get away with it. And ones like my ex is going to get hit with a huge payment as his first one as they've taken 4 months just to contact me for a few details they (apparently) didn't have....so it's going to be a few more months (at least) before they decide how much he owes, and it'll all be back dated.

So a man that is willing to help support children gets stung, and ones like your ex get away with it

I know fio - I've read about it so many times on here, and heard about it in RL (my best friend is owed approx £10k from her 1st H - but he's left the country and so knows she'll never see a penny of it ) but until now (when I'm in the midst of it) I didn't realise just how crap it is.

I'm going to speak with my solicitor this afternoon to see if there's anything she can do to find out the length of his 'break'
I doubt if I would be able to recoupe lost payments when the CSA eventually do trace his income.

A non-paid career break sounds SO unlikely for him, he lives in a 5 bed detached in Bushey! the mortgage payments must be horrendous. (bought it with his first wife) Much more likely that he's off doing something hugely lucrative like working for UN (has done this before and has bee n asked to return to the service before.)

Thanks for your sympathies by the way Hatwoman