Welcome to the DAD.Info forum: Important Information – open to read:
Our forum aims to provide support and guidance where it can, however we may not always have the answer. The forum is not moderated 24 hours a day, so If you – or someone you know – are being harmed or in immediate danger of being harmed, call the police on 999.
Alternatively, if you are in crisis, please call Samaritans on 116 123.
If you are worried about you or someone you know is at risk of harm, please click here: How we can help
Hi, I've been having problems with the agency for over a year now. To begin, I should say I've been paying 15% of my wages before and after the problems had started. Always rounding the figure up to more than what I owe. I also send in copies of my wage slips as proof of what I should pay. They wanted to collect payments by Direct Debit or directly from my wages. They said they would get an estimate of what I need to pay from previous wages. I tried to explain to them that it wouldn't be the best option as I worked through an agency at the time and my hours were up and down. Some weeks I'd work 40 hours and others I'd work 10 so I carried on with the method I was paying.
In January of this year, they sent me a letter informing me I was £180 in arrears. I asked them to send me a print out of my account but I couldn't make head or tail of it. I wasn't sure if payments I made were missing as it had built up over two years. All I knew was that I had definitely payed every penny I owed but realising I wasn't getting anywhere, I payed the arrears off. Fresh start. No more problems, I thought.
In June, I found permanent employment through the agency I was with. I let everything settle down making sure this job would last and I decided it was a good time to start paying my child maintenance directly from my wage. Before I found the time to arrange the change, CSA sent me another letter notifying me I was over £300 in arrears. I was furious to say the least. I asked for another print out and this time I noticed a couple of discrepancies. I made a payment of £180 by debit card in May. I had a look at my bank account history and the payment definitely was made to the CSA. However, it didn't show up on the print out they sent me. I got in touch with them about it and they said they had records of the payment but had no idea why it wasn't put in the account. I thought to myself if this has happened once, could it have happened before and could it have happened to other people. It took them four weeks and many phone calls to sort that payment out. The issue was finally sorted.
Now for the current problem. I received a letter from them saying they estimated from my previous wages how much I should pay weekly and they have contacted my employer to take it from my wages. I was happy with this until I read a little further. They informed me that I am £300+ in arrears and they will add it on to what I pay weekly until it is fully payed. I know for sure I have payed everything I owe and try to explain to them or send proof but they just don't want to listen. So basically they are going to steal my money and I can't do anything to stop it. I now find myself in a position where I have to work overtime at the weekend to cover the extra money that is going out for the next couple of months, ironically, the only time my Daughter gets to spend with me. This is seriously getting to me now and I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I love my Daughter to bits and I do anything I can to make sure she gets what she needs. I just believe there's a limit when people start taking advantage.
Anyway, thanks to anyone that took the time to read this. It's feels good to vent once in a while. Any advice would be appreciated. 🙂
Hi There,
It is very difficult to advise on CSA issues as every case is different so there is no easy answer to give, I would call them again and ask then to fully explain why you are in arreas and ask for some evidence of this.
If it turns out you are then you could also ask for them to sort out a payment plan that spreads it out for you.
GTTS
Ring them and tell them you want to make a complaint, and ask them for the procedure. Also ask them for written confirmation that they have received the £180 (as well as being proof that you've paid, it's also proof that their accounts are inaccurate). Also, immediately make an appointment to see your MP (do this asap) - put in writing in bullet form your complaint and hand this to your MP and ask them to make a complaint also - they can raise a complaint at a higher priority than you can so don't wait until the outcome of your direct complaint to do this as your MP will probably take a while to raise it anyway.
Welcome to the DAD.info forum.
We don’t like to set ‘rules’, but to make sure that you and the other dads are kept safe, we have some requests. When engaging with the forum, please be aware of the following:
- The forum is not moderated 24 hours per day.
- Many of the moderators do so on a voluntary basis. Whilst they may be able to provide some guidance, advice or support, they may not be able to deal with specifics.
- We are not an emergency crisis service so if you or someone else is in immediate danger, please call emergency services.
- If you are concerned about the safety of a child, please click here to find the support you can get for them (link to new page)
- If you are in crisis, please call Samaritans on 116 123. They are open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.
We hope you find this forum a supportive environment and thank you for joining us.