When the CSA finally started collecting from my ex I had to start another battle with them to get them to release it! For some obscure reason they had me listed as on benefits and were redirecting it to the Secretary of State! Then they had the audacity to tell me they 'might' be able to get it back for me!! 4 years on I still have to phone every month to make them release the money, and its getting a few days later every month!

My brother is 38 yrs old. He's an alcoholic, severely depressed (with massive anxiety issues), has a history of self harming (to the point where he has been hospitalised at times). He can leave the house on foot in his little village, but cannot go further afield without my mother or father due to panic attacks. He has been medically discharged from the police force recently because of these issues. The evidence is available for all to see in his trips to the police occupational health, and his own GP. Clearly having been medically discharged he has received a commutation payout and gets a pension from the force. Would he be able to apply for DLA? Thanks x

Not all ex wives are greedy so and so's I had to use the CSA, my ex wouldn't pay a penny otherwise, and I really needed it. We had 4 children, the youngest being only 6 months when he slept with my mother. The CSA make it difficult for all concerned, it seems to bully those that will pay, whilst forgetting those who won't. I have a DOE on my ex now, not by choice, by necessity. However.... I did find that the MPs were very useful to me, and I think they would be to those on the other side of the coin as well. Within 4 weeks of them becoming involved the CSA had got their butts in gear and sorted it out. I honestly think they are your best weapon at the moment. No new wife or partner should have to live in fear of being made homeless.

Hiya We claim HB as a family. I work and thats taken into consideration. Last year our eldest son moved out and started work. This was Jan 11. I informed HB and showed them the adjusted tax credits and child benefit letters. This took our entitlement down from 3-4 bedrooms. We don't get full HB because of work so wouldn't have made much difference. Of course our benefits plummeted but we expected that. When the new notices came in April of last year I noticed my eldest was still on there and it said we were entitled to a 4 bed still. I informed them again through a posted letter (not recorded delivery) and thought nothing of it. We had a review in January of this year where someone came from the council to check we were really living here etc etc, and he was still listed as living here. I told the man, and again he removed him from the claim. This was signed by him and me. Today I've received my 2012/13 CT bill and HB allowances and you guessed it, he's STILL on there. We've phoned them today and I will stick another letter in tomorrow as requested (by hand this time!), but I also noticed he's listed as a 'non dependant adult' and 'a non dependant deduction of £xx' has been made from our benefits weekly as we have not provided any information for him. I don't know how I missed this on the last letter, but I clearly did. Does this mean we've been struggling with the lowered benefits because of that deduction? If I can prove I gave this information 4 times would I possibly get backdated HB? I've had to borrow from family members to help out and it would be nice to be able to pay it back!