No support from the CSA

Dashed hopes
In the summer of 2001, my file had found its way to Hastings, where I had at last found a case officer who was determined to see we received the maintenance due to us, as well as the substantial arrears that had built up.

It was on my son's school sports day when she called me to say that the CSA was to enforce a deduction from earnings order (automatically deducting an amount from the father's salary) of a reasonable weekly sum, plus the arrears. Two weeks later the case moved to Dudley, the order was never enforced and, needless to say, no payment was made.

In the meantime, my son's father, realising that delaying tactics would not work forever, decided instead to change his circumstances. He trebled his mortgage and went part-time, halving his salary. When Dudley got around to enforcing the order in December 2001, he promptly walked out of his job altogether. With no income, the CSA said, it could not press for payment either for current maintenance or for the £10,000 arrears we were now owed.

My case is not unusual. The CSA has many stories of irresponsible fathers who duck and dive to avoid supporting their children. What was unusual in my case was that it had been handled so badly by the CSA that the agency had virtually abetted the scheme of payment avoidance. Had it not moved our case from Hastings, we would have been receiving payment for over a year by now.

No further advances
The case officers at Dudley were so appalled and embarrassed they suggested a little-known procedure, known as an advance. This is something the CSA tends to keep quiet. It entails the agency paying you a proportion of your arrears if it has grossly mishandled a case. A delighted case officer called me to tell me I'd be receiving a payment of £3,000 plus, then, two weeks later, that I wouldn't.

Apparently, there are seven criteria a case has to fulfil (mostly about the CSA's conduct) in order to qualify for an advance. Mine fulfilled six - but there was a quibble over the seventh. That turned out to be whether the father would have paid had the CSA done everything by the book. This is the most bizarre twist in the tale yet - given that the purpose of the CSA's existence is to reclaim money from fathers who, otherwise, do not voluntarily support their children.

Even more appalled and embarrassed than before, my case officers suggested I write to the chief executive of the CSA, asking him to overturn the advance decision and appoint an independent case examiner to go back to the beginning and sort out the whole sorry saga. Nothing much changes at the CSA, though. That was two months ago - I've still not heard.

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