Appealing Child Support Decisions

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Appealing Child Support Decisions

The Tribunals Service handles appeals relating to child support decisions, both those that are made by the Child Support Agency and Jobcentre Plus. The tribunal can also vary decisions made by the CSA and Jobcentre Plus. If the tribunal makes a decision that is wrong in law, this can be appealed to a child support commissioner.

Timescale for Appeals to be Made

Appeals must be made within one month of receipt of notice of the decision, which is deemed to be the date when the notice is issued. An appeal may be lodged outside the time limit (‘out of time’), but only by making a written application, which must comply with certain requirements. In these circumstances there must be compelling reasons to allow an appeal to be considered, and the later the appeal, the more compelling the reasons must be.

Evidence for the Appeal

The CSA will prepare a submission, which will vary in length depending on whether, in its view, the CSA considers the appeal to have merit or not.

When you decide to appeal a decision, you should consider whether or not you have any further evidence that you want the tribunal to consider in relation to your case. You should also give thought to whether or not you have any witnesses. If you require further information or evidence from another source, you can ask the tribunal to give a direction that the information should be released for the purposes of your appeal.

Appeals can be struck out by the tribunal’s clerk in several circumstances: if the appellant does not pursue the appeal properly; or by failing to comply with a direction given by the tribunal (if it has been specified that such failure will result in a striking out), or if the appellant doesn’t notify the tribunal that he/she requires an oral appeal hearing.

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Hearing the Appeal

Either party in an appeal can apply for an oral hearing. In the alternative, the tribunal can direct that there is a need for an oral hearing. In all other cases, the appeal will be decided on the papers. Hearings are usually held in public.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

The Appeal Decision

When the evidence has been heard and submissions read, the tribunal members will consider the case. The decision will usually be provided to all parties on the day of the hearing.

Appealing a Decision in Law

If the tribunal makes a decision that is wrong in law the decision can be appealed to the child support commissioner. This is not an appeal that can be made on the facts of a particular case, but must essentially be on the basis that the law relating to the decision was either misinterpreted or used incorrectly in the appeal. Either party can appeal a decision in this way.

In order to appeal a point of law you must first obtain permission from the tribunals service to do so, and within one month of the tribunal’s decision. Unlike other appeals, these cases are usually determined with written submissions only. However, some cases do have oral hearings, in which case the commissioner usually reserves the decision to a later date (i.e. does not provide a decision there and then in relation to the outcome.)

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Ask Child Support Laws a Question
Hippo 11/09/2019 at 6:44 pm
My ex has got the cms to claim 7500 of me of unpaid child maintenence wen since 2002 I have been paying her 200 a month for them so probably paid nearly 20000 pounds. We paid csa for the first few months but then was decided to just pay bank to bank.. Does anybody know wat I can do?
Bb2986 19/08/2019 at 4:41 am
Me and my ex split 16 months ago last year he mad me feel sorry for him crying saying no one cares for him he should kill him self told him it’s hez own falt he chose to live in Birmingham than be in Liverpool with hez family well few weeks ago told me he found some one new so me being me told him I had to ???? well anyways he never pays for the kids he comes see them wen he feels like it he and let’s them down a lot phones my daughter up wen he feels like it never speaks to r son I let him see them coz he knows am a mug but other day he got married yes I was pissed off am struggling to buy school uniforms and he pays for a wedding out the blue so I txt him hez kids r up set and if he wants see kids take me to court coz am sick off him upsetting them well he still anit phone my daughter up see if she ok I want my kids to have a dad but hez selfish
Victim 16/08/2019 at 4:12 am
I am a father to one son who is being charged maintenance, I wrote to the CSA and told them that the child maintenance calculator proves that i should not pay any monies as i have my child at LEAST 2 times a week. but they still went ahead and sent my company a threatening letter and placed a deduction from earning from my company. It should be noted that i went to the courts and won the right to have have unrestricted access to my child and therefore have no bars or limitations to my son. I play an active role in his life and share in the day to day care for him, this involves his basic human rights along wiht providing entertainment, GP appointments and other activities.

please advice
Njh 29/06/2019 at 6:11 pm
We have just been hit with a £10'000 pounds from CSA now we have always paid cash to the mother and always bought my step son clothes and school uniform and anything he needs on top of this pushchairs for the mother and food and new washing machine yet she has also stopped us seeing him for around 2 years of his life he is now 6 my partner is not on the birth certificate and offered to pay numerous times which the mother refused she lives on benefits also and never declared a single penny we gave her to the jobcentre, also we travel 12 miles to pick him up just to see him and been refused on the door step we also took on her older son every weekend (as his father doesn't bother with him so he needed a Male role model) and bought him clothes and food etc even though he's not my partners son ....where do we stand ?
jonesy 23/05/2019 at 11:20 am
The father of my son's mum hasn't been involved with my son since he was 3 months old. He is now nearly 7. Until we separated the father of my son never spoke to his mum either until recently. His mum is pure evil and has mental health issues she used to phone and say she was going to commit suicide if he didn't ring back (and this was when they were speaking) she has MS as well. I really don't know what to do is there anything that I can do to stop him from taking our son to see his mum? He wants to leave our son with her as well I don't have any trust in her what so ever I feel like I cant protect my son.
Pls help 28/03/2019 at 12:39 pm
I have had a CSA case made against me for arrears to my ex partner. I’m happy to pay for my daughter but CSA have put an detachment of earnings order in place for £430 a month. I have an infant child that lives with me and I physically can’t afford the payments they have asked for. It is the difference between me being able to pay my rent or not .

I have asked CSA to please review the payments but they have told me there is nothing they can do. Is this true? Or am I just getting moved on to cause them hassle?

Thanks
Sam 14/02/2019 at 8:47 pm
Hi
My ex refused to pay any maintenance
He was in full time job and yet CMS failed to recover any payment from him
When they finally decided to put pay and collect he called and informed them that he is unemplyed
First he was trying to close the case by saying that I am not the primary carer
I have sent in court orders, rental income evidence for him,letter from his solicitor stating that he has a job and also letter from my bank confirming that he didn't even make single payment
I sent for mandatory reconsideration and it was rejected on the basis that they can't find any HMRC tax evidence and he sent in his bank statement
I don't know what to do as I know he works cash in hand and he also recently renortgaged a flat which I also own but he keeps the rental.income from that too
Please help
I don't know what to do next
Z 22/01/2019 at 5:17 am
My ex husband had requested a variation followed by a mandatory reconsideration, both of which were rejected as he didn’t submit any evidence to support these. I suspect he is hoping to go to a tribunal and is retaining any evidence for that. I was requested during the mandatory reconsideration period to submit any evidence from my end. Would the CMS release this for him to see as part of the tribunal process or is his appeal based on his own evidence only?
Fatherinneed 11/01/2019 at 2:00 pm
I have been stopped from seeing our daughter by her mother and I cannot afford to take her to court for access. She is claiming CSA off of me but not allowing me to see our daughter. I am raising my partners son as my own and have another child on the way. Is there anything I can do?
ChildSupportLaws Editor 10/09/2018 at 11:03 am
You would have to take this up with CMS/CSA yourself, It may be that CMS were taking over from CSA, so your CSA claim was stopped. However, that did not give a green light to stop paying child maintenance. The correspondence at the time would have given alternatives that you should adhere to i.e a family-based child maintenance arrangement or through CMS. It all depends upon whether you were still deemed eligible to continue paying child maintenance (i.e., until your child leaves full-time education).
R 08/09/2018 at 5:53 pm
I had a csa claim made against me in 2010, which I disputed but was told I had to pay for a DNA test. Anyway, for the next 5 years payments were deducted straight from my salary until September 2015, where I was told a stop was made to the payments (not by me). Today, I have received a letter from the csa advising I owe 1,738, yet it was them that stopped the payments and sent me a letter telling me the claim had stopped? This is now causing me a lot of stress because I thought this was over a long time ago! any advice would be appreciated.
ChildSupportLaws Editor 17/08/2018 at 11:56 am
You would have to prove you paid the money. If CMS are disputing this through their appeal/complaint process, , then your only option would be to apply to court.
FLINSTONE 17/08/2018 at 6:37 am
Good Morning. I have paid Child Maintenance to my ex wife since 2004 Direct .
In 2017 the Child Maintenance Service took over the case from Child Support Agency .
They informed me that I owed £3715.00

I had paid this direct to my ex wife monthly and have proof through the bank statements and transactions between banks , and now the ex wife is written to CMS claiming she has had no money .
Surely this is classed as fraud !!!!
They are asking me to the pay the outstanding amount again
Help , what action can I take to stop this
I 15/08/2018 at 5:17 pm
I am in my second CMS appeal, having won the first (2016/17) due to the fact the respondent didn’t comply with the judges directions by sending in the bank statements requested.

He is self employed and hired an accountant to declare he was paying himself minimum wage to the CMS, in order to pay the smallest amount of child maintenance. I applied for variation based on undeclared income through dividends and business accounts etc.

This time he has returned the directions asking for all business and private account statements amongst other things to the Tribunal saying “addressee gone away”. He has not gone away and I have evidence of this, but what will the judge base his adverse inference on with no evidence at all for this years appeal (2017/18)?
Ty 23/02/2018 at 10:42 am
It's disgusting the way they work .my boyfriend has always paid up until 2years ago as the mother just went to the pub more and the kids got nothing.so he decided to give the kids the money.he has now a liability order which he cannot pay even though he took all the bank statements to court and text messages from the children asking for money for food etc as the mother wasn't home he paid for all his daughter's prom while the mother was away in Spain and she stayed with him.the courts never listened or looked at any evidence.just signed the liability order.its disgusting the way they work this.its affecting both our health.solicitors carnt even get involved this government is a disgrace
Samps 13/02/2018 at 7:12 am
I have always paid for my children and the youngest is 19 this year. I have just recieved several amended csa bills one saying i have to pay £190 a week then another stating £280 a week i am not behind and earn around. £450 a week. How does this work then apart from all the benefits for the child the mother is going to recieve all this per week. My problem is i do not believe my daughter is living in the area or with her mum but with a partner. How can i prove this to csa or can they prove to me that she is living with her mum and is in full time education... Where is the help and support for predominantly fathers. Trouble is my employers will just take that money out of my wage an pay it because some people think csa is law and always right. I cannot live on £170 a week and my child has £280 christ my rent is £100 then petrol to get there so looks like i may become unemployed.. Bravo well done csa
GreGF Editor 09/02/2018 at 10:10 am
@Unfair4Fathers - If you have your child for 175 nights or more: child maintenance is reduced by 50%. If your ex claims child benefit, then you are by default the paying parent.
Unfair4Fathers 08/02/2018 at 2:11 pm
I have a court order which states I have the children in my care for 7 in 14 nights and the mother has the children in her care for 7 in 14 nights.

I pay half of all school trips, half of lunch money, half of any extra curriculum activities

If the children are sick or on holiday the care is shared equally which is covered in the child court order.

CMS still stay she is the resident parent and I must pay CMS because the mother claims Child Benefit.

The child maintenance act 2012 regulation 50 says clear that this should be a special case in my mind and no maintenance should be paid, is there anything I can do? I have appealed to a tribunal.
ChildSupportLaws Editor 05/02/2018 at 11:33 am
I am sorry to hear your husband is not coping well. As a rule, all non-resident parents pay the same. For instance if your husband is calculated as paying the basic rate and the child stays with the parent who receives child maintenance all the time, then he'd pay pay 12% of his gross weekly income (unless there are arrears from a previous debt, in which case he would be asked to pay more). His only recourse is to complain, You can see how child maintenance is calculated via whichAlso, he can request a variation for travel etc, I hope you manage to sort this issue out.
Anxious 04/02/2018 at 1:14 am
My husband is heading for a breakdown and I’m distraught , the CMS are taking far too much out of his weekly wage for one child , after weeks of telling them it was wrong , they agreed that on his current earnings it was too much and would review it......today his new payments came through for even more money , with lots of unexplained charges and unexplained arrears. How can this happen in our country in this day and age....how can a department just decide an amount with no reasoning behind it and not have to answer any questions or tell you why , and also tell you different things on a daily basis.....we will end up losing our home which is rented as we cannot afford payments for long.....we aren’t young either , late fifties......my husband sobbed his heart out and I’m ill with the stress....it’s also preventing him from visiting his kids as we live so far apart and he will not be able to afford the petrol ......he has never missed his visits ever since his divorce(his ex wife was unfaithful) ....dear Lord is there no one who can help ....Inreally believe he will have a heart attack and I’m so scared.....
He works nights driving three times a week for 8.00 an hour , we are not rich!
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