CSA changes - not impressed!

Hello all,

Very long time no see! Hope all my wiki friends are well!

I needed a CSA related rant and couldnt think of a better place to go! I got a phone call today to say CSA has been reduced by £20 a month due to a change in xh (forgotten the abbreviations, doh!) circumstances. I was expecting it tbh, his fiance had a baby in April.

However, what annoyed me the most is that I was informed of the upcoming changes in regards to charging for the CSA''s services. In the next 18 months I will receive a letter telling me my case will be closed within six months. I then have six months to apply again which will incur a fee of £20. Once the new case is opened I will be charged £4 for every £100 I receive through the CSA. Xh will be charged £20 for every £100 he has to pay.

Now, I can understand charging for the service given the size of it etc, but what I find unreasonable is that both parties have to pay. Those of you who know me will know my xh and I do not get along and he has been difficult at every turn. My case history with the CSA will, i''m sure, be interesting reading and is proof of why a personal agreement would not work. Xh has swerved, stalled, and refused payments whenever possible as a way to punish me (his words, not mine) and simply cannot be trusted.

It seems in all this my xh is the winner. His CSA is already vastly reduced as he lives with his fiance''s 2 children who are supported by their dad (as well as their mum and now xh) and my daughter loses out. How £100 a month can support any child is beyond me! Grrrrrrrr!

Hi

the ongoing fees only apply if you use the collection service. IE he pays them then they pass it on to you.

If your ex pays you directly then all you need to pay is the initial application fee.

CSA/CMS has always caused rants since day one!

You will need to set up a private agreement with your ex. I think child maintenance options can advise you on this. Your ex. will pay you an amount which is calculated on his gross pay. It is his choice to do this under the new rules. However if he fails to pay then you may need to use the child maintenance service. Your ex. will pay an extra 20% on top of his child maintenance and you will get 4% less.

All cases will close?

I am in the same situation with an ex using every possible trick to not pay or pay as little as possible. There is no way we could make a family based agreement as I am already dragging him through a CSA tribunal. Due to him being a director of a limited company I envisage fighting for a tribunal every year.

Having to pay the CSA/CMS for their ''service'' which allowed my ex to make only 3 payments in 18 months is unbelievable.

Really?

my case is such that i have an equal CAO of shared care 7/14 over nights.
My son remains on CSA books, daughter recognised by HMRC for family allowence in my ''household''. New CMS recognises equal CAO therefore no money exchanged for daughter within my household.
CSA will not release son to new CMS ruling therefore I am trapped paying for him until they finally pull their finger out (or disband) and transfer to CMS ruling somewhere within the next 3 years.

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