» Thursday, February 9, 2006

Child Support Agency

Asked to describe the Government’s position with regards to the CSA, the PMOS said that we had to go back to what the Prime Minister had said in the House where he had been very clear that we should not blame the problems of the CSA on the people who worked there. They had done the best they could. We should be realistic and recognise that the task they had been asked to do was not one for which the organisation had been fit for. Therefore today was about introducing some operational improvements in the interim, but recognising that we needed a brand new system and that was why we were bringing in someone, not to review the system, again, but to design a fundamentally new system, whatever that might be.

Asked if the CSA would still be in existence at the end of this process, the PMOS said that we should see where we got to, this process would start from a blank page and look at what was necessary to meet the needs of our child support system.

Asked if there was any acknowledgment that this should have been done a while ago, the PMOS said that there had been a recognition that we had tried our best to make the existing system work, but that had revealed that the system simply wasn’t working. There came a point where you had to be honest and admit that we needed a new system. That point was now. Asked who would be designing the new system, the PMOS said that it would be Mr. Henshaw.

Asked what the timeframe would be, given that we seemed to have wasted enough time already, the PMOS said that we were talking about a very tight timetable, and that timetable was aiming to deliver its proposals in a few months. Asked if we needed a CSA at all, the PMOS said that there was a real need here which needed to be addressed. You couldn’t just wish the problems away, you had to address them.

Briefing took place at 9:00 | Search for related news

3 Comments »

  1. I re-applied to the CSA after a spell of non-payment from my ex husband for our 3 children. Although I applied in writing in December 2005 I was not contacted until February 2006. I have not received payment to date since January 2006.

    The CSA has all the documentation from him but cannot do a damn thing with it. My ex husband refuses to pay me and says he will wait for the CSA to give him a schedule. The problem which has become apparent in the past 2 weeks is that my previous case which was incorrectly closed is causing the new information to be rejected by the system. The claim is now being referred to the clerical department to be dealt with manually which could take up to another 2-3 months.

    I placed a formal complaint over the telephone with the CSA last week and although it have kick started them into trying to get my ex-husband to make VOLUNTARY payments it is less than what I was getting last year, I wasn’t aware the the armed forces take paycuts????? I was married to him for 6 years and never saw a single one.

    The estimate which they have given him does not include the 5% arrears which he will be required to pay once they get there backsides into gear.

    If I were on social sercurity benefits would that make a difference into how fast the case would go through because I know for a fact I would not lose out on any benefit in waiting for the so called father to cough up and pay for his children.

    Comment by s.g — 1 Jun 2006 on 6:30 pm | Link
  2. I re-applied to the CSA after a spell of non-payment from my ex husband for our 3 children. Although I applied in writing in December 2005 I was not contacted until February 2006. I have not received payment to date since January 2006.

    The CSA has all the documentation from him but cannot do a damn thing with it. My ex husband refuses to pay me and says he will wait for the CSA to give him a schedule. The problem which has become apparent in the past 2 weeks is that my previous case which was incorrectly closed is causing the new information to be rejected by the system. The claim is now being referred to the clerical department to be dealt with manually which could take up to another 2-3 months.

    I placed a formal complaint over the telephone with the CSA last week and although it have kick started them into trying to get my ex-husband to make VOLUNTARY payments it is less than what I was getting last year, I wasn’t aware the the armed forces take paycuts????? I was married to him for 6 years and never saw a single one.

    The estimate which they have given him does not include the 5% arrears which he will be required to pay once they get there backsides into gear.

    If I were on social sercurity benefits would that make a difference into how fast the case would go through because I know for a fact I would not lose out on any benefit in waiting for the so called father to cough up and pay for his children.

    Comment by s.g — 1 Jun 2006 on 6:32 pm | Link
  3. At least the above comments are current, I have been trying to get the CSA to sort my claim out since June 2003 and to no avail, I have contacted them and e-mailed but to no avail, whilst my children have have to live in poverty, it makes me laugh the government suggest these ideas but do they actually have an initiative that works as this policy is not helping my family.

    More so I have not stopped contact with their Dad I personally felt that it was a decision that the children had to make for themselves, although his lack of child support makes me feel like saying he can not see his children until he coughs up. I know that this would be wrong to do so, but do feel strongly towards a system that works towards helping the children and if the old one does not work scrap it, there must be an alternative for parents to approach if the CSA are not doing the job they are supposed to be doing.

    On the other hand I would like to work in an organisation where I could do nothing all day and get paid for it.

    Comment by Debbie Purser — 19 Sep 2006 on 3:35 pm | Link

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