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Hi having a mare with Cms!!!!!
They calculated my monthly amount, I paid the first amount then realised there was an error, was told my 2nd payment would be lower because of the overpayment followed by ten recalculated payments...
But the letter I got showed eleven payments of a higher amount, non of it adding up???
Contacted Cms a number of times who also seemed confused!!
Their conclusion is I was charged an admin fee when they changed from CSA to CMS?????? What!!!
I'm being forced to use this service and now they have taken an admin payment from my kids money and now I'm in arrears???
Is there someone else higher up in the CMS I can contact??? Surely this is not right!!!
Ask to speak to their manager, there's an appeals process too. I wouldn't accept that you have been charged an admin fee...they make it up as they go along!
I bet they're referring to the collect and pay service. With the new system under CMS, parents who want the payments to be administered by the CMS will be charged an admin fee, for the paying parent it's 20% of the amount extra and for the receiving parent it's 4%. However this hasn't come into practice yet and isn't supposed to until everyone has been moved over to the new system, in or around 2017 I believe! So evening they say you are on the collect and pay you won't be charged.
When its fully up and running as long as you have paid regularly you can't be made to go on collect and pay just at the request of the receiving payment.
Hi, I’m William from Child Maintenance Options. I thought I’d give you some more information.
Later this summer, the Government will introduce fees and charges for using the Child Maintenance Service. There will be three types of charges:
• A £20 application fee
• Fees for collecting and paying out child maintenance
• Enforcement charges for paying parents who do not pay
Collection fees will only be applied to parents who have a Collect & Pay case.
The paying parent will have to pay 20% in addition to the weekly maintenance payment and the receiving parent will have 4% taken away from their weekly maintenance payment.
The best way to avoid charges is to make a family-based arrangement and not use the Child Maintenance Service at all. However, if you and the other parent cannot agree an arrangement between yourselves, there will be no collection fees for parents who pay and receive child maintenance using Direct Pay, only application fees.
Once charging has been introduced, either parent in the case can choose Direct Pay without needing the other’s agreement. This means all paying parents can move onto Direct Pay if they request it, except where the Child Maintenance Service has a reason to believe they may be unlikely to pay (for example, if they have missed payments in the past).
I think perhaps Nannyjane is confusing the introduction of charging by the Child Maintenance Service and the ending of Child Support Agency arrangements. Child maintenance arrangements made through the Child Support Agency (CSA) will be ending between now and 2017.
I’m not sure what other “admin fee” you are referring to. I suggest you contact the Child Maintenance Service and speak to someone about your case.
It may also be helpful to know that you can only appeal a child maintenance decision about payment amounts. If you’re unhappy with the service you’ve received, again you should call the Child Maintenance Service and ask them to sort things out.
Hope this helps,
Thanks
William
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