Csa,aaaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhh!?

My husband has just had an assessment done which came to 拢76 a week. In the letter it stated we have an income of 拢272 a week which is for the 4 of us living here. I went onto their website and used the maintenance calculator and i got a result of 拢45 a week,which is a lot less. Further investigation has led me to believe that included in the assessment is a carer's allowance for the childs mum of 拢27 a week!! Which i don't think is our duty to pay,if the government want to fund her being at home that's up to them but he's 16 and looks after himself. Anyway i've written to them disputing this, but was wondering if anyone else had the same problem. I am supposed to recieve maintenance myself of 拢50 for the same situation, so can see both sides,i just think carers wage is a bit of a piss take.

This doesn't include arrears,we already have been given an 拢8000 bill which we are paying off. They are saying this will be backdated to nov 06,so there's another bill on top of the 拢8000. So much for lifting kids out of poverty,mine are gonna be in it soon,it's scary.

The first thing to remember when dealing with the CSA is that they work to their own rules in which logic and fairness play no part.

It is also worth remembering that they charge you, or your husband, from the date of the claim, which could have been a while ago and may account for the extra charge.

Have a look on their assessment to see if it includes arrears. Beware though, as they charged me for arrears I didn't owe.

You can appeal and you probably should. I genuinely wish you luck.

i totally agree with you, some people can sit on their arses all day and get paid for doing just so! CSA is as bad as tax credits!

These people are very hard work .My husband has been battleing with them for years about arreas that he doesnt owe .They have ignored the fact that the children stayed with us regually and that we paid money direct to the mother and bought them clothes shoes etc as she was dressing them in rags .(which i must point out that she didnt declare this money to dhss) We have had to get the local MP invoved but that is very slow too ,its taken a year for them to understand what he has to say too . I suggest you go to your MP and try to get him to look into your complaint . . We have been complaining for 7yrs and they have now decided to get us our own complaints officer in Newcastle .All the while they are taking 40% of my husbands wages . The csa just dont care what they do to get money they disreguard the facts Sorry that its not what you wanted to hear .I just hope you have more luck than we have had ....once again GOOD LUCK