CSA (CMEC) bullying tactics

[Redletter]

Hello. Apologies if I am in the wrong place with this. I'm not sure if anyone can deal with this at all?

 

I have recently been approached and assessed for child maintenance by CMEC (Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission), formerly the CSA.

 

I must point out that I have always paid towards my children's upbringing, but my ex got greedy despite already defrauding the benefit system and not declaring any money I gave her in the past, but that is another story which I will not enter into.

 

The question is with regard to my child maintenance payments.

The CSA as it was previously indicated that THEIR preferred method of payment is Direct Debit. However I argued that it was my banl account and I wanted to retain control. I am not disputing payment - simply the method of payment. They reluctantly agreed after passing it to a manager and I set up a standing order.

However, since the new lot took over (CMEC) they have said that the only methods of payment available to me are either Direct Debit or an attachment of earnings, which I obviously do not want!

 

My view is that they are there to enforce payment of what the law says I must pay not to dictate how I pay it!

 

What are my rights on this?????

 

Thanks

[Redletter]

bump?

[Redletter]

Maybe I posted in the wrong place but had no replies?

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/legal-issues/200727-csa-cmec-bullying-tactics.html

 

Thanks

[yourbank]

bump again

[Chris1933]

subbing, would like to know as well

[baileyboy]

If it was me, I would just continue to make the standing order payments. They are still getting the money at the end of the day. You really would think that they would use their energy in chasing absent fathers that refuse to pay.

[Redletter]

bump

[PGH7447]

as above, you are paying so what is their beef, write to your MP if s/he is still in and complain to them about this agency

[Spamalot]

Like everybody else, I agree that as long as you pay and it's on time they have nothing to complain about.... What if you didn't have a bank account?

What would they do then?

 

You could always offer postal orders!

[Redletter]

Just to add to the problem by beloved ex has now appealed against a recent reduction in the amount they are taking from me, despite the fact that I provided evidence of a substantial decrease in my wages!

It is not good enough that CMEC themselves have re-assessed me because she somehow believes she should be entitled to more, despite the recession and that fact that there are people being made redundant at my place of work!

 

(Rant over! Thanks!)

[Redletter]

Further to post #8;

 

As stated above CMEC have now confirmed that my ex has indeed lodged an appeal against my recent re-assessment and subsequent reduction in the amount I have to pay.

 

The CSA originally bypassed me and went directly to my employer obtaining wage slips directly from my employer for Oct & Nov 08. At this time I had earned a substantial amount of overtime and their original assessment took an average from these 2 months.

 

I informed them that this was unfair as the amounts earned were not a true reflection of my typical average earnings.

I advised them that due to the following reasons it was inevitable that my earnings would decrease substantially over the coming year:

 

1) I had increased my persoanl pension contribution from 7% to (what I believe to be the CSA's maximum allowable) 20% of salary.

 

2) I had reverted to using my company van for personal use, resulting in a reduction in my PAYE coding and an increase in the amount of tax paid, as due to their demands I could no longer afford to run my own car.

 

3) I sent them a copy of a memo to all employees from my employer advising of sanctions upon the amount of overtime available and cutbacks due to the present economic climate.

 

4) I enclosed a letter from my employer detailing my wages (Gross minus tax, national insurance & pension) for Jan & Feb 2009 during which I had earned considerably less as I had previously forecast.

 

The CSA accepted my evidence, re-assessed and reduced the amount I had to pay, including an additional reduction due to overpayment at the original rate.

 

However, my ex (as I expected), despite the current global recession and the fact that people are being made redundant all over the world, has appealed against the reduction.

 

Now the appeals department of the CSA or CMEC are asking once again for me to provide evidence, most of which the CSA already have in my file.

 

They have requested details of my earnings from Oct 08 to Feb 09, despite the fact they have already received details of Oct 08, Nov 08 from my employer and Jan 09/Feb 09 from me (letter from employer as they had already lost my wage slips!).

 

They want details of bonus & commission from Oct 07, despite the fact that the ex didn't claim until 24th Nov 2008.

 

They want details of the date from which my pension contributions increased.

 

The main grievance I have with them is that it has already taken them 6 months to sort out the amount I presently paid. The paperwork I forwarded to them went from Middlesbro to Belfast and then to Sussex before they eventually located it.

I have, by their own admission, already overpaid based upon the re-assessment.

 

I have annoyed my employer by asking them to take time out and prepare the letter confirming my wages for Jan & Feb 09. The office are already on a 4 day week (as are the factory), and as such they have said they do not have the time to keep taking time out of their regular workload to provide the CSA with these details over and over. My employer has already asked for voluntary redundancies from all departments and my continuous requests are clearly causing them inconvenience and annoyance, as a result I feel I am making myself stand out and moving myself toward the top of the redundancy pile!

 

Additional to this the CSA are still phoning and trying to get me to set up a direct debit despite previously agreeing to standing order payments.

 

I have now advised my employer that if CSA or CMEC make further enquiries they should quote the Data Protection Act and advise them that they do not have my permission to pass on my personal information.

 

Is there anyone out there who can advise me of my rights?

The law states that I must pay 20% of my nett wages for 2 children, no more , no less. But if they calculate based on previous earnings I will be paying more than the law requires!

[one20]

I had a similar dealing with the CSA. After continuously paying them their calculated amount without any qualms, I did write to them advising that it was costing me a fair amount every month in travelling for contact (640 miles a month). They said they would re-asses it, and in doing so go in touch with my ex. She claimed that I have never really had contact with our child, and as such the CSA threw my claim out whilst advising me of the same.

 

After that - I never bothered writing back to them. Even though now I have court orders that provide for contact (as short as they are). Yet again, another classic case of father who wants contact, mother won't allow it and of course the courts take forever to sort anything out, yet the CSA are quick off the mark to get your money.

 

and wait for it.. the best part being, since the RP is on max state benefits, your money doesn't even get to your child, instead the govt keeps it!

 

Rant over.

 

RedLetter - I will be interested to know what happens, good luck - i've subscribed to the thread.

[stevo1011]

hello i wonderwed if any 1 could help me.

 

my ex has got the csa involved and i needed some advice. i used to work at a company and the csa took money straight from my wage and it was £25.43 a week and this went on for months and months. I have recently changed employers and when i have phoned them to start the payments again they have told me my previous employer was supposed to take £40 a week not £25.43. When i rang the csa all i had was a load of attitude off someone and all they tried to do was try and blame me. The serious part now is im in £1199 worth of arrears. Now they have told me that they want £62 a week off me to cover my son and my arrears. Im only on £200 a week and my rent and council tax alone is £100, which once they take the deduction from earnings i will have £38 a week to buy gas, electric, water rates, £15.50 travel expenses to work and food for me and my son.

 

as you can imagine it is impossible to live and the csa have said there is no way of changing it. I am not entitled to any tax credits things like that because i am only 24 years old.

if any1 has any advice i would really appreciate it

 

thank you

[Ice_n_slice]

Hi, i'm a woman in a man's world. I let my childen live with my ex husband a year after we split up and he has hounded me re maintenance ever since. He earns approx £30,000 a year and I earn much much less and struggle to keep a roof over my head. Also he has alienated the children, so as well as paying £450 (some of this is arrears too) a month I don't even see the boys. In my experience the CSA hold all the cards. I have no answers for you. I have been advised to give up work etc, but I want to work and need to work to support myself. The CSA are totally unsympathetic to the parent living without their children and do not care one jot about their circumstances. I have no issue in paying maintenance, however, the 20% (plus arrears) makes it very difficult to support my general living expenses.

Because you work, they can always claim directly from your earnings. The way I see it, it is a no-win situation. I'm just sorry I can't be more positive.

[2muchcoffee]

Hi, this is how it worked for me, several years ago:

 

Immediately that they started claiming the money, they asked for a cheque, otherwise they would claim it from my employer.

 

I had a form to fill in, I can't rememebr the name of it or anything now, but I filled it in, and posted it to them, with the cheque. Now listen to this:

 

After logging the information given to them on the form, and confirming they have received the form, and used its contents (where i lived and worked etc.), they DENIED having received the cheque (even though it was in the same envelope).

 

The first I knew of htis (because they NEVER tell you anything, they just "act"), was when my employer told me he would nwo be taking 30% of my wages form me (it used to be 30% for 2 kids). Basically, they lied about receiving the cheque and IMMEDIATELY took it form my wages (I presumed they had received the cheque and would cahs it because it was in the letter - oh abnd they DID confirm by phone, receiving the letter and the cheque, then later on denied the phone call).

 

When i tried to appeal to their better nature, I found they didnt have one. When i asked for a second chance, they said no. These peopel are hideous vampires, who get paid more money, if they suck more money out of you. They break any rule, if it profits them to do so, and care nothing about your wlefare, or your life. If you hung yourself, they wouldnt care because 99.97% of people DONT hang themselves, and do carry on paying - its a numbers game, to them, and the way to get the most money, is to do exactly what they do do, and terorrise any man who's wife sees profit in throwing him to the vampires.

 

Because only 1.37% of men are affected (or whatevr they amount is), they KNOW that no revolution will take place over this, and most people will simply laugh at you, if you go down the pub, moaning about the csa. So there is no stopping them.

 

This is why, nowadays, i laugh and cheer when i see 20,000 peopel being made redundant, on the news - im GLAD because not one of those people had any siympathy with me, and the csa ruined my life. Its made me bitter against all men, because they laugfhed at me, so i now laugh at them.

 

They even got £1,700 for my boy when he was 19 yrs old, and working, on the basis that "I didnt inform them in writing", even though i had no idea i needed to - they'd stopped claiming when he was 17, but just popped up and opened a new claim, it seemed. And the local magistrate doesnt care a crap about you either, and just says "passed".

 

Unless the men of this country learn tot stick togetehr, regardless of the issue, these romans will always pick off small parts of our communites, and ruin as many lives as they can, fo rtheir own profit.