Dodgy CSA Finances for 2nd Year Running
15th May 2012
The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC) administers statutory child maintenance schemes using the systems, processes and staff - that were transferred over from what was (and still is) generally referred to as the CSA. Later this year a shake up of the child maintenance rules and processes will see the end of the current system, but it will still be run by the CMEC (under the DWP umbrella) and we suspect may use the same IT systems and collection processes. So what's the difference? Well we know people will be charged to have their maintenance cases processed via the comission rather than via personal arrangements and we know they'll be basing the maintenance levels on a whole tax year rather than a few wage slips. But are they changing staff attitudes or IT arrangements? If so how much will that be costing the country?
Children were the reason that child support laws were put in place in the UK. Should we really be spending our money on the problems that could/should rationally be agreed by parents in order to give their kids the best help in life? Come on all you caring parents, forget your differences and agree on what's best for the children not what's best for you. Let's leave the CMEC to deal with the real 'no hope' parents who simply don't care enough to pay what's needed to bring up their own children. We do know that under the new system more parents will be encouraged to come to some agreement through mediation...let's hope it works.
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8th May 2012It seems the problems of the beleaguered CSA are not just restricted to inefficiency and lethargy. A Plymouth CSA worker has been found filtering £1000s of CSA payments into her own bank account. Around £7000 of cash due to claimants was transferred to the personal bank account of CSA clerk Clair Jones, who was found guilty and is due to be sentenced on 23rd May. So what trust should we place in the CSA? Do they offer compensation to claimants if they get it wrong?
Builder Tony Brown, had already been supporting his child through an amicable arrangement with his ex-partner for 10 years, when he received a bill from the CSA for over £60,000. Tony's ex partner Vicky had never put in a claim to the CSA and was perfectly happy with the arrangement she had with Tony. At the time a spokesman for the CSA said "...we do not need a mother to make a claim, either. If she is drawing benefits then a claim will automatically be started." Obviously without bothering to check whether maintenance payments or arrangements are already in place!
Even the government's own official spending watchdog rejected the accounts of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (set up to replace the Child Support Agency) after uncovering millions of pounds of payments that had been incorrectly made and a £3.69bn backlog in uncollected debts.
Will the new arrangements being proposed by government be more successful? We're waiting and watching on that one.
Our advice if you're newly separated, is to try and come to an arrangement yourself if at all possible. Formalise it legally or through mediation and if you need to claim benefits, inform the CSA that arrangements are already in place to avoid an automatic claim being started up.
If you cannot make arrangements outside of the CSA then here's what to do if they get it wrong.
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
The CSA's Last Bid for Fame!
30th April 2012So, EastEnders star Jamie Foreman has promised to keep paying £400 a month towards his Child Support Agency debt of £51,000 for his two sons, now 22 and 20. The magistrates have warned Foreman that he faces prison if he fails to keep up payments. This high profile case seems to have injected the CSA with some uncharacterist fervour; most of your comments to us bemoan its inadequacy and lack of progress. Is this a last bid to retrieve some public dignity before its closure later this year?
As always, your comments are welcome!
In the meantime, we've managed to uncover some more information about what may be replacing the current Child Support Agency. The new agency in charge of child support will be the "Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission" and will come under the DWP's (department for work and pensions) umbrella. The focus of the new system will apparently be on getting parents to work together and share their financial responsibility for their children. Maintenance calculations will be based on the 'gross income' of the non-resident parent (NRP) and will be based on the latest tax year information held by HMRC. The idea being that using information from one source will help to reduce the time taken to calculate child maintenance. The amount calculated will stay the same for the duration of the tax year unless there is a change in income greater than 25%.
What's more controversial, is that certain charges will be levied. The government hopes that this will deter people from using the system where they could come to an arrangement on their own. With an upfront application charge of £100 to be paid by the applicant and a collection charge of 15% to 20%, it's not going to come cheaply.
Will this encourage more cooperation between parents? What about those errant parents who are hard to track down? It's certainly one to watch...and we will be.
CSA to close this year?
25th April 2012Rumours about the closure of the Child Support Agency have been flying for some time, but according several online sources, a date of July 2012 has now been set for its closure.
Details of what will happen to existing cases are not clear, but it's thought that many cases will be closed and claimants forced to re-apply and pay an application fee into the bargain. We will keep you posted on the correct details when we have them.
Since the birth of the children, I have not worked and looked after the children. And because I have not worked (which was agreed by him as well), he is using the Wright v/s Wright judgement (which has no resemblance to our situation) to reduce child support: "once children reach "Year 2" or age seven, there is an expectation that the primary caregiver will start part-time work and make a financial contribution" .
I will also like to add that my ex-husband is actually renting our joint matrimonial home without my consent, thus pocketing the rental income which is in fact financing child maintenance.
Could you please advise if the "Year 2" judgement is the law?
The CSA laughed at me when I said I would take it up with my MP and told me that my MP would do nothing.
So the CSA know they can steal money from your wages to balance their books .
First we had MP's fiddling expenses now we have MP's that support theft by failing to address reported issues.
Why would anyone vote thieves into Power ?
BLATANT THEFT AND SUPPORT OF THEFT BY MY MP
a load of money grabbing slags? it does actually take two, perhaps you should have put something on the end of it.
The CSA has given the green light to a load of money grabbing slags to get a free income.
The amounts they take are ridiculous. Are they seriously saying the £400 a month I pay is correct? Surely this should be matched by my ex, so we're saying it she spends £800 per month on the child, bull-crap.
The excuses from the government are equally pathetic, and I have taken the time to contact them about this. There's no dispensation for household bills whatsoever - why? Because you might mortgage and take out loans to reduce your payments.
Yes, I am that pathetic that I will finance myself up to the hilt and run the risk of losing my house, just so I can pay less CSA, it's a crap excuse because they don't want the hassle of being reasonable. It's far easier to punish the father with punitive payments, than it is to provide a system which caters for both sides and is reasonable.
There's no upper limit to CSA deductions - an indication of flawed, unreasonable, unfair system.
My ex chose to leave. She chose to move where she lives now - I still live in the same place, yet there's no dispensation for the amount of money it costs me to travel to see my child because it's not enough nights a week. It's simply impossible to see her every week, the distance is too far and I have to work, otherwise she's get nothing.
The CSA and that idiot John Major have created a system of misery, rather than work with parents who separate, they introduced an unreasonable system which people actively try to avoid because it is so unfair. If it were more reasonable you'd probably have more payments being made to actually support children.
I want to claim csa I have the children Mon to Friday the dad
has them fri evening until mon morning.it has been this way
since we split. Mainly due to the fact the dads work takes him abroad weekly
for more than 3 wks out of four.
He chose to work away .there were other options .
I have them 4 nights he has them 3 nights some occasions
If he has
to be away early morning I have them Sunday nights .
I work full time. As I have had the routine
for so long I decided to take on a 2nd wkend job , for the extra money.
and as i missed the kids and had no choice but to let him
have the children as he is unable to
see them in the week because of his job I wanted to fill my time up usefully.
Now he has a new relationship he wants to change the
routine to fit in around his personal life . He states that his job is constantly
changing work shifts . But wants a set change in routine which is obv impossible as his work is always changing!
He pays the mortgage as I still live in the family home his choice to pay.
He also knows the mortgage is a lot less of an outgoing money wise than csa would be on his salary.
Can I still claim csa ?
Thanks help very confused mum!
The CSA calculated that my ex should pay £0. All based on two payslips! My ex owns a tax avoidance business, therefore makes a living out of pulling the wool over the tax mans eyes!
I bid farewell to a usual system, but do not expect much more from the new procedure.
I believe child maintenance should be dealt with in court. Only experience judges should be dealing with such a complicated, important and stressful matter.
All of this is a very sad reflection on the 'must have' society we live in
Divorce should be made the last resort with children under 18 - counselling should be mandatory ...instead generally one partner is already in someone else's bed
Whilst questionable why it has taken so long ...why such a minimal payment . This will take him over 10years to pay off the debt !!
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