Paying csa when child is working

[luckybird00]

I am paying CSA around £430 a month out of my wages to my son from a previous relationship.

He is now 17 and I dont have any contact with him.

He has displayed on social networking sites that he is working and flashing his cash.

Friends of mine who speak and know him have also told me this information.

I have reported it to the CSA and have been told that because his Mum is claiming child benefit I still have to pay.

Any ideas on what to do?

[scotgal68]

CSA are correct - your liability order will apply until the age of 16 unless the child is still in education (full time non advanced) if the child is working and is not in education then you're not liable for payments anymore. P.s - 12 hours education is the minimum requirement to be classed as full time education

[luckybird00]

He is working painting and decorating,she is obviously giving the child benefit wrong information as he is definatly working and not in any form of education

any advise on what i can do?

[scotgal68]

Ring the CSA and let them know your son is working and not in education anymore, maybe he's on some sort of training programme to do with college? CHB are usually on the ball with school leavers x

[luckybird00]

I think he was doing an apprenticeship but is no longer,and they wont do anything as his mum is still receiving child benefit.

she obviously isnt telling them the correct information.

[scotgal68]

The only thing you can do is tell CSA he's not in education and ask them to cascade that info to CHB x

[luckybird00]

I have informed them over a year ago and they have done nothing.

[DES_1001]

get your MP involved, most MP's hold surgerys at different locations around their constituencies.

You should be able to find one by going to you local council

[Ros1609]

All you can do is report it to the CSA and hope they can do something about it. I appreciate it seems massively unfair but if you stop paying then you will get into arrears and the CSA will chase you for them. Plus the impression I get from your posts is that you think he has left education but you don't know for sure

[luckybird00]

The CSA money is deducted from my wages.

He is putting on facebook that he has worked a 72 hour week and friends of mine know he is definatly working.

Im annoyed as I have another child who is now one and we could do with that money.

[Ros1609]

To play devils advocate here bearing in mind I don't know your son at all, just because he says he's worked a 72 hour week doesn't mean he actually has. Until you get some definite proof (and I'm not sure a Facebook status counts) or your ex wife stops receiving child benefit then you will continue to pay CSA for him

[luckybird00]

Yes I know that but his mum has commented agreeing with it.

I just hope its sorted asap.

[Ros1609]

Again I'm not sure Facebook would be counted as definite proof. You could always take a screen shot and send it to the CSA tho

[scotgal68]

I agree, FB is not the most reliable source. But if it's true HMRC (CHB) can easliy check the PAYE system. Could be possible he's finished for holidays x

[luckybird00]

This has been going on since may last year, i informed the csa and benefit people who have told me their looking into it.

i have called back and they have told me that it hasnt been reported.

i think i am going to send a letter.

[mzzy]

We had exactly the same problem, with my husbands eldest son, it is very unfair so say the least! We rang for weeks and got exactly no where, mean while we still had to keep paying! In the end we were told to write to the CSA, to complain and say if it wasn't sorted our next step would be a complaint to the Independent complaints case examiner. Have to say that with-in a week, it was all sorted!!! The ex wife then had to start paying back the money she had been over paid. We will be having the exact same problem again shortly when the next one. Be glad when its finished! Hope this helps.

[Rachie1973]

He is working painting and decorating,she is obviously giving the child benefit wrong information as he is definatly working and not in any form of education

any advise on what i can do?

 

My son does a painting and decorating course which is considered full time education, but he also gets paid for some work he does for his work placement outside the allotted hours.

[Dragonlaird]

You can ask the CSA to request a review of circumstances with regards to eligibility. I was lucky when a similar thing happened to me and the advisor explained this was an option. It can take up to month to complete (mine took around 2 weeks) as they have to request a check on CHB eligibility which may in itself cause CHB to investigate such eligibility if sufficient cause or suspicion is evident.

 

I did this over the phone to CSA but you can also request this in writing and perhaps include copies of any such social network postings as supporting examples causing the concern although these are obviously easily faked and may be ignored.

[luckybird00]

Also,I have a 16 month old baby which I havent told csa about,would this lower the payments if i did so.

would this implicate the 16 months old mum as we dont live together but we both financially support the child. I do not give her money for his keeping but contribute to buying him the things he needs

[Ros1609]

Yes it would lower your payments. It wouldn't implicate the mum in any way but just be aware that one day she could go to the CSA and start a claim

[luckybird00]

I have contacted the csa and was told unless she makes a claim to the csa the payments will stay the same,this cant be correct can it?

[luckybird00]

I am currently in a relationship with the 16 month old babies mum and have been for 13 years but do not live together.

[Dragonlaird]

The basic rule of thumb for the CSA when calculating payments is: 15% Net Pay for 1 child, 20% for 2 children and 25% for 3 or more. This is for children whom you pay maintenance for via the CSA. Any monies received should be split equally between the children and paid to the parent(s) with care although this ratio can change depending on the children's ages. It would be common sense (sadly not a quality often demonstrated by some of the CSA 'advisers') that the total amount of maintenance you should be expected to pay for 2 children is 20%, even though one of them is being supported directly, thus you could argue that you should only be expected to pay 10% for the child you are supporting through CSA. They may ask to see evidence that you're supporting your baby but a letter from the mum would usually be sufficient, preferably with a note that she does not require the 'services' provided by CSA to collect any maintenance you have both reached a mutual agreement regarding this. Such a comment would ensure the CSA does not become involved in maintenance for your second child and does not discount the possibility that either of you may want their involvement in the future.

[luckybird00]

Thanks for that! Does anyone have a letter template I could use?

[Zed2820]

Hi there, is it possible that your son is doing some sort of Apprentiship/NVQ? Child support is payable as long as Child Benefit is claimed, and the only circumstances that can happen at 17 is if he is in full time education or approved training. Also, even if his training finishes, his mum may be allowed to claim CB for up to 20 weeks afterwards. I promise you they do check with the Child Benefit Office ( I know this because my son did some part time work too and his dad got cross about paying CSA, except my child is just 16 and it was only 6 hours cleaning). The Child benefit office have lots of ways of checking that a parent is rightfully in receipt of benefit so i would ring them and ask them to look at this for you.