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Apologies if this is covered anywhere else but a search didn't show anything.
If your DWP benefits end because of a change in rules or assessment of non-eligibility, and are then reinstated because of an appeal or another change in rules, must you inform the CSA?
This has happened to me and I didn't tell the CSA because I believed I didn't need to. They found out themselves and made deductions again. They now tell me I have arrears because of these periods of non-payment, but have previously sent me statements saying there are no arrears.
I need definitive answers as to whether it is compulsory for me to tell the CSA the benefits resumes, and more importantly, if it is not compulsory, whether maintenance is still due.
I didn't tell them because they knew the benefits had ended, and I assumed they would know they had resumed.
I'm really annoyed because for 2 years they have told me there are no arrears, and now they say there are.
Hi there
The CMS do expect to be informed of any changes to your income and I'm pretty sure this will be stated in any letters that you've received from them previously.
If you think you've been treated unfairly there is a complaints/appeals process that you can follow.
I'm not really clued up on the financial side of things, but some people find their MP can be helpful in situations like this.
Best of luck
Thanks for your response. sadly it doesn't help me.
What the CSA expect, and what I am obliged to do, are not necessarily the same, This is what I trying to find out.
These 'arrears' have come to light because they continued to take payments from me for two months after my child was too old and not eligible. They now say that the arrears date back to 2013, yet they have never previously told me of any arrears. They now say, in response to my complaint that they have offset the overpayments to these arrears.
I have several complaints ongoing, and the ability and inventiveness of these people to make excuses to cover their incompetence continues to astound me.
There isn't much point in making a complaint without knowing if the complaint is justified, and my MP in the past has been of much use as a chocolate teapot, and again, won't be of any use without the complaint being correctly formed.
So, I need a definitive answer to whether I am obliged to tell them my benefits were reinstated.
I can only reiterate Mojo's advice to you. It is also my understanding that you are obliged to inform them of any changes to your financial circumstances. You would need to seek advice from an appropriate agency as we do not have in depth knowledge of CMS procedures and laws.
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