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Hi I am looking for a bit of advice before calling CSA
My current situation:
I am separated from my child’s mother for 3 years now, my daughter is 3. I am seeing her 2 to 3 nights a week at the moment and paying £34 a week. (According to the calculator).
I am getting endless abuse and texts from my ex regarding CSA, telling me to go direct with them, she’s forever contacting CSA asking them to check my wage etc., and then they try ringing me during work hours... So I cannot answer. I called them on a weekend and they told me to call back during the week.. Which I am going to try call today but need advice before hand.
The reason she is constantly calling CSA:
She is moving over an hour and half away from me, I do not drive so seeing her will be more than likely 1 - 2 weekends a month (Friday Night, Saturday Night and Sunday Night) - This alone is breaking my heart.
Because she is forever contacting CSA and saying I’m not paying enough, she’s realised that I will not see her as much will increase her weekly payments.
My situation:
I try ringing CSA and they tell me that someone else is dealing with this, so they try transfer me and I never actually get to speak, when I do get to speak they say ok ill ring you back... which means I cannot answer because they ring me during work. They will not take into consideration that I will have to travel buses and trains to get my daughter as she is refusing to drop her off to me.
I feel so powerless, I have parental responsibility over my child. I am fed up of the constant abuse, Facebook updates calling me a bad parent etc. People have fallen out with me because of the things she is saying. I want her to leave me alone and follow the planned agreement.
My annual wage before tax is 19000 (if this helps anyone)
Any advice from anyone will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Daz
Hi Daz
I have only recently set up a case with Child Maintenance Service after my ex was throwing them in my face a few times so thought I would let them sort it out so it is set in stone then,how they work it out is based on your GROSS weekly pay,how many nights a year you have your daughter overnight and if you have a pension then that reduces your weekly payment aswell,they got all my details through HMRC and received a letter last week telling me what I need to pay,I found them to be a great help if I am honest. Also they can help out with travel costs as long as it works out more than £10 a week ,that's what they told me anyway,they call it a variation.
I have worked out what you might have to pay but don't take it as that will be right because I don't know fully how many nights you will definitely be having your daughter or if you pay into a pension,using the Child Maintenance Calculator based on your Gross weekly pay and I have put in that you will have your daughter more than 52 nights a year it came up as £39 per week but that's only an estimate Daz,do you know exactly how many nights a year you will have her? And do you pay into a pension?
My only advice is set up a case mate as then it will stop your ex throwing them at you every time,my ex was adamant I should of been paying £60 a week,turns out that I have to pay £47 now,we had a private agreement anyway and I was paying less than I should of but we agreed that because of the travelling costs then all was ok but it got sour this year so I went and set up a case.
Hi Daz
lewy77 has pretty much covered it - if you have your daughter for more than 52 nights per year, then there will be a reduction, so you may get that depending on whether it is one or two weekends per year. Work out your travel costs for the year, and if it's over £520, then you can get a variation, but if it's not much over, I wouldn't bother as the reduction is small - even if your costs are, say £1000 per year, the reduction would be (I think) 12% of £480 (ie the amount over £520) - which is about £57 - so less than £5 per month even for that level of travel expenses.
With regards to people falling out with you over what she has said on facebook, to be honest, if that's all they are going on, then they don't know you properly and I really wouldn't worry about losing them - they aren't true friends in my opinion.
Hi Mr_unknown2014
Thank you for your post. I am William the Child Maintenance Options consultant. You mentioned that the Child Support Agency (CSA) have been trying to get in contact with you regarding child maintenance. If your ex-partner contacted the statutory child maintenance service after 25 November 2013, it is the Child Maintenance Service that is dealing with your case (the CSA stopped accepting new applications after this date).
We are unable to comment on Child Maintenance Service cases as we are a separate organisation and do not have access to your case information. Therefore, you may wish try to again contact the Child Maintenance Service directly to discuss your concerns. You can find their contact details on any letters that you may have received from them. You can also find more information on how the Child Maintenance Service works out child maintenance on Gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/how-child-maintenance-is-worked-out/how-the-child-maintenance-service-works-out-child-maintenance.
For more information on the ways to set up child maintenance, please visit our website at http://www.cmoptions.org. Alternatively, you can call us free on 0800 988 0988 between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday or 9am and 4pm on a Saturday. We have a sorting out separation web-app that you may find useful. It offers help and support to separating and separated families. The link is: www.dad.info/divorce-and-separation/sorting-out-separation.
Regards
William
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