Advice on CSA please... what do i do?

[Fooso]

Not strictly a step issue, but as this is the only forum I go on, and you all give such good advice...:)

My ex is in arrears on his maintenance.. I haven't had any money since end of November. Years ago, this happened and I never knew whether I'd get any money but for the last few years he has always paid regularly but he is now living with a new partner now and she has a young child and I'm sure this is taking a toll on his finances. He has a good job but never seems to have any money - I don't know why. I have sent numerous text asking what's going on and he just says "I'm sorting it/I'm organising a loan/It will be in this week etc" and nothing happens. What do I do? just suck it up and accept that this is how it's going to be and just wait it out and hope I get it eventually - and stop nagging him, or do I think about going to the CSA (or whatever its called now)... what do you think?

Yep. CSA all the way. He can't just not financially contribute.

Was he paying the CSA minimum amount before he stopped?

yes, he was paying £300, but as I know he was struggling I said drop it to £250 - the CSA say around £260 is the basic. So I've never been greedy.

It's not greedy to expect him to contribute towards the upkeep of his child!

Don't forget the CSA will reduce his payments depending on the number of overnights he has your son. Also, his payments will be reduced further now he is living with another dependent child, even if the child is not his.

He's not self employed is he?

no, he has quite a good job and earns over 42k. He has my son 1 night every 2 weeks - that's it. I think even with the other children living there he will have to pay the minimum of 260, if I go through them they take 4% of what I receive and they charge him 20% if they have to collect - so both of us are going to be worse off! I've just text him and said - please sort it out so I don't have to go down this route!

I was in the same situation as you many years ago I got fed up off my son's so called dad not paying gave him chance after chance to sort it out but never did so I went to the csa and was the best choice I made they gave him chance after chance to pay but he kept trying to get out off it say I asked them to set up a deduction of earnings on his pay so the money would come off before he got his pay that was including the missed payments cuz at the end off the day why should he not pay just because he has a new partner and she has kids he should be putting his own before hers

Fooso - what makes you think they will charge you to use the CSA? They haven't brought those charges into effect yet (as far as I was aware, I am happy to be corrected).

Some new CM cases are being taken on under the "new rules" now, including the fee - it's being phased in though, so the criteria for cases being considered under the new rules are changing regularly.

I just looked on the Child Maintenance Service website and even they say they are not charging "yet".

Weird.

In your situation I would claim. You are getting nothing at the moment so even paying the charge would make you better off than you are at present.
Then he will have to pay regularly from his wages and you won't have this problem in the future