Letter of complaint to CSA, can anyone help?

[Fizog]

I would like to write a letter of complaint to the CSA as I've absolutely had enough of them. I want to make it as effective s possible (though I'm sure nothing will come of it).

I didn't keep records of all the times I've called so I wonder if there's much point?

Anyone have any ideas? Also what should I include? I could ramble on for pages about it but I want to try and keep it as succient asa possible. Not particularly easy for me!! Any help, suggestions, experience would be great!

message withdrawn

Dear CSA

I am writing to complain about xyz (be as specific as pos).

This is what happened. The consequences of this were

The outcome I would like is

My contact details are

If I don't hear from you I will be taking this matter to although you might want to see if you can get it sorted with this letter before you resort to threats like this. If I write in the heat of a momnet I tend to go with all guns blazinf like this but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for a first letter!

This is a general all purpose complaint type letter but hard to say whether it's appropriate since I don't know the problem. I might have to go in a minute but may be back later if you want to post further details.

Blimey, this site is slow this am, my words aren't even appearing on screen until ages after I've typed them.

Ok well this is the case... sorry for delay, btw, no internet access.

June last year I submitted my claim and heard nothing, only confirmation that they'd received my claim... after months of chasing them and being fobbed off with excuses like "The father already has a claim against him and that is on the old system so it will take longer" (WTF?) I received finally received a letter in October stating my payments would start in November and be back dated until October... why not June? I asked - because they only back date the first claim and he already had a claim against him.

Anyway November came and went, no money phoned them only to repeat my problem to several different people as they transfered my call round the half the UK population... to be told "the person that needs to look into it isn't in at the moment, I will pass on the message and get them to call you back", "They'll definitely call me won't they", "Yes", "Today?", "Yes", "Fine"... follow with two days of chasing when they don't call and repeat the above each time then I'm told "We need to contact the employer, we'll get back to you"

Repeat entire scenario (including letters being 'put through' to 15 different people every call and having to repeat my problem over and over again only to be given the same answer) for November, Decemeber, January, February and now March and this about brings you up to date.

After a 4 days of dd having sickness and dhiarheoa (sp?), finding out that I might lose my job and that dd has to go to nursery for ANOTHER 2 sessions a week. I almost lost it this morning.

The woman on the phone said she understood why I was angry and that unfortuately I wasn't the only one with this problem and that it's the system (she was very nice actually) told her I understood it wasn't her fault but it really is appauling and I'm sure they're in the firing line all the time but if you can't speak to the people who need the bollocking then they're gonna get the shit.

I'm sure you have to write because they think people can't be bothered but I just feel that if people don't complain it won't change. I'm just so fed up with it all. £200 a month is £200 at the end of the day, it would really help.

Anyway so that's the problem.

Fizog, I was told by one of the advisors that there is a huge backlog and they process them in date order, but that by keeping on ringing up, 2-3 times/ week if necessary, you can get your caseworker to prioritise you. Find out the name and office of your caseworker and keep on asking for that person, or someone who works in the same team. Ask for dates and confirmation of actions, eg if they say they will contact him, ask whether it will be by phone or letter, and when it will be done, and then ring back to check it has been done. If you think that your ex is not co-operating, tell them what you want, eg, "I know that he will do everything to avoid paying and that he is in paid employment and I think that you should apply for an attachment of earnings order because he has missed x payments now." Apparently they can proceed to attachment of earnings after 2 missed payments.

Fizog I would forget the letter of complaint and contact your MP - details on House of Commons site. Mine sorted my Tax Credits out in 24 hours after me ringing and emailing the IR for months

We have in the past written several letters to the CSA, and unfortunatly it has never made any difference. When my dp split up with his wife, they agreed an amount that he should give her each week and he did so every week without fail. After a few months she decided to give up work and was told that because she was now claiming benefits, the payments that dp made would have to be done through the csa, even though neither party was complaining. At the time, we were moving and the forms the csa sent never arrived at our new address. They took this as my dp ignoring them, so they started stopping 100 pounds a week out of my dp's 180 a week wages. I was distraught, and couldn't understand why it was happening. We filled the new forms in immeidiatly, but they still continued to take out 100 a week. Eventually, we got the letter stating how much he had to pay. It also said that he had a years worth of arrears, because although he had been paying his ex, he had no recipts to prove he'd payed her so they are saying that he still ows a years worth of money. His ex even phoned them to explain, but that made no difference at all. Years on he still has arrears, that never seem to have gone down.
I have no probs with the CSA chasong fathers that don't pay, but they caused such a lot of trouble for us, when things were going fine before. I know several people who's ex dp's have never payed a penny for their kids and they don't get hassled at all. My dp was paying what he should and got harrases by them for over a year. We did appeal twice, unsuccesfully.
I hope you get it sorted soon fizog

Hi Fizog

I've been trying to get a claim dealt with by the CSA since November 2002. No maintenance yet, but have had some compensation from them. You only get this if you write to your MP and get him/ her to chase it. The other thing you do is, when you write to the CSA, cc it to your MP, One Parent Families and Gingerbread, so that the CSA feel obliged to put it to the top of the pile. You still might not get any money for a while, but you might get some compensation - I've already had one lot, and they are now dealing with another lot. It wasn't a lot, but it was more than I've got from x.

A week b4 my 16th birthday my mum received a letter from the CSA asking for details about my father (he left when I was 6 months old) where he lived his date of birth etc. Needless to say after nearly 16 years these weren't too close to her imeadiate memory but she did the best she could and we never heard anything again.

My father got away with paying nothing towards me and my brothers and the CSA didn't realy care or try to find him and make him. I think that they're a waste of space and I shall be avoiding using them when/if dp and I seperate permanently.

Gumboot - I loathe the CSA and always have thought what they do is a bit wrong (especially before the reviewed the amounts they took from parent without care).

I still loathe the CSA and think they're a waste of space but in my situation I didn't feel I had any choice, this was because he used to use the CSA as an excuse not give me any money. He has to pay £350pm for his older dd and so always told me he couldn't give me anything because they were taking to much for other dd. Actually come to think of it that was his excuse for never contributing towards anything financially whilst we were together!!

Still, it's not like it's got me anywhere yet. They really are amazingly bad in everyway.

Still haven't heard from the women who was supposed to return my call yesterday... and so the cycle begins again...

Not sure if this is only a problem for serial dads (who have more than one claim) but I sent my stuff of a couple of weeks ago and got a letter at the weekend - X2b can't verify his earnings so they are waiting for the info but in the meantime he will have to pay me £42 a week (he is a lying bastard!!) - and this does not start until the 26th of this month - they have not back dated mine at all - it starts a month later than it should!!

Oh and one of my friends has been chasing her childs father for the last 3 yeasr - he is $ this september - he has signed everything over to his new wife and is thousands in arrears - but although they threaten that they can do lots about it - add on to tax bill, put on mortgage, take away driving licence or possessions - it literally takes years to get to that stage!! And each time he goes to court he says his circumstances have changed and he gets 3 months to put his case forward - its all bollox!!

My cousin is due in a few weeks and thinks she is gonna shake her fingers and get money from her babies father almost immedialty - I know for a fact that she won't and he is quite willing to claim that he earns minimum wage to prevent her from doing so - they are crap if it is not a straight forward case IMO!!

Fizog, disregard all my advice! Your thread got me worried so I rang them to check up. They set up a deduction of earnings order but then they have gone and cancelled it after speaking with him and (for the nth time) he said he would set up a standing order! He sets up the standing orders and then cancels them just before payment is due to the csa. So, now I am back to square one, waiting for the end of March, and when I don't get anything, I have to ring them again. The man said that he personally will set up the deduction of earnings order if I don't get anything in March. What a b-y joke, when xp is working for one of the biggest investment banks in the country and told me he has got no other children. Anyway, whatever fool I was for believing xp's promises over the years, looks like the csa is equally gullible. Perhaps we'll finally get some money in time for ds's university tuition fees!

Well, it all sounds like fun, I'm just about to embark on trying to get the CSA to chase after my ex so it sounds like it will all be nice and easy - NOT!!!

Btw - Twinkie, I tried to email you a reply twice and whatever (innocent things) I put, it just tells me it contravenes the usage policy or something and can't be delivered - sorry!

A more positive note is needed!
Thank God that I did not get married to him (which at one point was very possible and something I wanted) and no longer have to deal with all his false promises and irresponsibilities and delays and disrespect and distorted view of life on a daily basis. Not being his wife is the best thing that ever happened to me (apart from ds of course which is sort of part and parcel of not being his wife).

two sides to every story, it takes two to make or break a relationship. im being ruined by the csa i only earn 17k a year and when the csa started with me they mis calculated my earnings assuming i earnt £4500 a month.When it was sorted out two years later my payments went down to 7.44 a week. Funnily enough this wasnt enough for my ex so she cancelled the agreement. I wasnt prepared not to pay for my boys so I said ill pay £100 a month and have done ever since. I find out yesterday that in 2004 she went back tot he csa and reopened the case. saying i was paying nothing. I now have to contend with £240 a month since 11/04. Not only that she doesnt let me see them because of an argument at xmas. In my opinion you women have it easy and moan about nothing try being a bloke with a medioca job then you will have something to moan about.

Ty being a single mother, thanks to your partner cheating whilst pregnant, working so as not to claim benefits and giving your daughter some self respect. Not getting any money or support from ex partner even though he is earning 25k a year, and he was the one who pushed me into trying in the first place

Im lucky, I work and earn good money, and still see lots of my daughter but there are some mums who have to work every hour just to struggle by, even then still not making enough to survive.

Or those who cant afford child care and have to claim benefits, even though it kills them to do so

Women do not have it easy, and we dont moan about nothing

so what did you bother typing for if you were not moaning

Why did you come on this thread if you can't help?