CSA Arrears - how to prepare for a visit to local MP

[princessbongtastic]

Hi, Has anyone involved their local MP in their CSA case? I'm owed thousands by my ex-husband, I just wondered how much preparation you need to do before a meeting. I've got all of my paper records from the CSA, although trying to make sense of a lot of them isn't easy!

Thanks

Princess

[hillards]

Yes, I've had my MP involved for the last 10 years, and still waiting for the CSA to extract their digits and sort things out! I pulled a letter out just the other day, from May 1999, where a senior CSA bod told my MP that they would deal with this as a matter of urgency.

 

I should point out that this is from the other side of the fence. I'm the father, my ex. had to give details to CSA when she was on benefits, years ago. She's since re-married, twice, and I've been mainly unemployed for the last 12 years. Had two jobs that lasted a year each in that time, never even got caught up on bills, let along any progress with CSA.

 

They have tried to take me to court on several occasions, but each time the local officer has got in touch a day or two before to say they've had to withdraw the case due to lack of documentation. I had a visit from "bailiffs", wanting over £25,000 on the doorstep. 1) they were a pair of scruffs and had no ID that I would have accepted. 2) they had a very badly copied bit of paper that looked like a court document, but it was clear my details had been added later - I checked afterwards, there was no court order! 3) I did not accept that there could be such a debt, on the grounds that the CSA were supposed to be re-assessing my case.

 

There was a time I would call the CSA in Belfast at least once a week, to check on (lack of) progress. They started sending letters out to say that they had said they would respond to me by (such a date) but they would not respond by (first date plus 3 months, usually) - and I got loads of these, over perhaps 3-4 years.

 

Each time I got a letter I would call them and ask what they were playing at. Each time they would tell me that someone would call me back, they never did. Those letters stopped some time ago.

 

About a year ago, yes, April 2008, I had a call at 9.30 one morning. Young woman would not identify where she was calling from, just said it was 'Sarah from Bolton', and she wanted a payment of £60+. I explained that I did not know anyone in Bolton, and asked what the payment was for.

 

She tried to go through some 'security' questions, which I refused, on the grounds that I do not know who it is calling me, they could be using my personal information for fraud. She got all uppity about that, as if I was accusing her of fraud - and would not listen when I tried asking her if she would give her details out to a complete stranger on the phone. The number was withheld too.

 

Then she said I need to call her back on a 0845 number. I asked why, she said to discuss the matter, I said asked what there was to discuss, she said 'arrears'. I asked what arrears, she said she could not tell me...

 

I'm sorry, but this is they way these people work. No better than Debt Collection Agencies in my book.

 

I called the 0845 number, it answered as Department of Work and Pensions. I was asked for a reference number, I said I didn't have one. They wanted my name and address, I refused and again said I was not happy at giving personal details to a stranger. The guy pointed out I had called them, I said that anyone could have an 0845 number (I know this for fact, I used to have them, long story) and it could still be a [problem] - he hung up.

 

A week later I got a letter from the CSA. Telling me I had refused a payment and that this would be added to my arrears. No info on how much the arrears may be by now or anything.

 

Anyway, I sent a copy of the latter, and a letter from me, going over the recent events, to my MP. She wrote to the CSA. She got a reply, last November! Told her that a new department were looking into this case, and they are in Scotland. She passed on the case officers name and phone number.

 

I called, he said he had only had this case on his desk a couple of weeks and was waiting for the notes to be passed on so he could look at the history. I did call him a couple more times, last in mid January. He assured me that the matter had been passed to a colleague and they would be in touch...

 

I'm not trying to avoid them, I don't move house to house when they contact me. I am genuinly out of work, my ex. knows all about this and I have bought things for the kids over the years, when I have been working, as she didn't want any money off me. She told me she had no choice, the CSA had to be involved all those years ago, or they would have stopped her benefits.

 

So, I've dug out the letter from May 1999, and I will be asking my MP if we are having an anniversary party to celebrate 10 years of incompetence at the CSA.

 

When I was in touch with Belfast, I was once told that they had 'lost' my file and were trying to re-create it from computer records. This ties in with the lack of progress via the magistrates courts, where I was quite happy to attend and state my side of the case. The local officer could do little more than sympathise when the paperwork failed to arrive - and let slip that this happened far too often!

 

What a pity that (alleged) debts to the Crown cannot become statue barred! Not because I want to avoid a resolution to all this, but to cement the sheer lack of professional care over such a long period.

 

They still have me down as working full time, in order to make their calculations, and this has not been changed since late 1997, when I was made redundant from a job I had had for over 7 years. I got in touch with them then, to tell them I was out of work. Before I got any response to that I got a new job, after 10 months out of work. That lasted 12 months, I was then unemployed for over 5 years.

 

All this time they have been adding over £300 a week to the total - and I estimate the total will be over £40,000 by now. But, nobody in their right mind could say this was the genuine total, as I've been waiting for them to re-assess me since then.

 

I would love to go to court to sort this out - they are the ones who keep withdrawing the cases. I was tempted to force them to attend, by about the 5th summons, by refusing to allow them to back off - but was told I couldn't do that - pity!

 

In other words, don't hold your breath! All your MP can do is to contact the CSA and ask for a progress report. The CSA send back a letter that promises the earth, the MP contacts the person involved to pass that on. Several months later you repeat the process...

[andie_303]

I have an on the same side of the fence and have to say my MP was amazing.

 

I took a timeline of contact I had had with the CSA - basically my ex told the CSA he wasn't working when he actually was. They reduced his payments down to £0. I then found out where he was working and gave it to the CSA - easy you'd think but no 10 months later they had not done anything with the info - so I got my MP involved he wrote them a letter - there is a department that deals purely with MP complaints and 2 weeks later lo and behold they had caught my ex working and had charged him back rates + arrears + interest.

 

I also got a dedicated person ringing me every week to let me know the status of my case.

 

Now my story is still ongoing as my ex is refusing to pay the arrears and current order so they have applied for a liability order and sent bailiffs round to know success so they have just applied to have his Driving Licence removed.

 

I think without my MP I would still be waiting for them to check out the employment details I provided them in Jan 08!

 

All I gave my MP was a quick run down of the case, timeline of contact with the CSA, CSA reference number and my exes details.

 

I gave it all in writing and he used that.

[princessbongtastic]

Thanks for your replies...Hillards, I do hope things are sorted out for you soon... Andie, thanks for this info, I'll set the ball rolling & write a letter..

Thanks again

Princess

[hillards]

I may be taking a rather sexist view here, but it seems that if you're the female parent and you contact your MP then you get some action. If you're the male, like me, then you're left in the dark, for years?

 

Hmm - can feel a letter to my MP coming on - again.

 

No reflection on any of the posts on this thread, just my way of thinking I guess.

[princessbongtastic]

Mmm, Hillards I can't really comment as I haven't contacted mine yet, I'll et you know how I get on!! It may be more to do with the MP's rather than the parent's gender. I just wish the CSA worked in the way it should for all parents! Good luck....

[MissDemeaner]

I waited for 7 years, I had to chase my case all round the country twice and have it pulled back out of filing where all the cases go once the children are of age to look after them selves and at the time my kids were 3 and 6! My ex has yet to be charged a penny for the last 7 years of missed payments and only now that he got a new wife and had 2 more kids does he pay anything now, obviously wanted to wait so paid a reduced rate, my kids already feel abandoned by their filthy father whom I hate with the fire of a thousand suns for the way he has repeatedly rejected my sons .... on a rant... some blokes don't deserve the title of MAN, a real MAN stands up to his responsibilities! All this rant I hope you all understand is personally directed towards my snakey ex husband and no-one else. Thank the lord I am re-married to a decent bloke. MissDemeaner

[sox15]

my son is now 20 we divorced when he was 4 when the csa first came out ex hubby was a legal excutive and i am still fighting for the money despite 3 mps getting involved and ex being threatened with prison etc CSA no faith in them at all

[hillards]

For what it's worth. My MP's office have once again contacted the CSA, as there has been no action for months.

 

I've just had a call to say that they have now completed the assessment of my case and they have been able to agree with my claims of unemployment, but only since the case was brought to their attention by my MP, which was just over 10 years ago.

 

There were some earlier arrears on the account, which I said was due to being out of work at that time. They say I never informed them of change of circumstances, I say I did. They now say their decision is final and I cannot appeal.

 

I am long term unemployed, mainly through health issues. I do not receive any benefits and was turned down for disability allowance because I was able to walk to the end of the street. I'm not sure how they expect me to get back if I do make that trip, I cannot walk there AND back.

 

Anyway, the CSA have now worked out that I owe them a few thousand pounds and wanted to know how I was going to pay this off! It will be handed over to the enforcement team and I can expect lots of hassle from them in the coming weeks.

 

My ex has not been interested in chasing the CSA from her side for a long time. She knows I'm not working and unable to pay anything and her circumstances have changed a heck of a lot over the years, she does not need the money. It was only because she claimed benefits back then that the CSA even got involved.

 

My kids have grown up, only one is still classed as a responsibility, and he leaves school next year. I don't get to see them much. When I was able, I used to go and pick them up for an overnight stay here. Thanks to the hassle, which they were always told was my fault, they've not been to see me for many months now.

 

No phone calls, no letters, nothing. I send birthday cards, but can't remember ever getting one from them. I used to email my youngest, he's blocked me.

 

Gee thanks CSA, I don't think I could have made things this bad without your help...