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Hi there I was wondering if anyone could advise me on a situation I have been experiencing with the CSA and DWP for the past 7 months.
In November 2016 the CSA wrote to me notifying that my liability for child maintenance payments to ex partner for my son is no longer in force.
Upon receiving the letter I contacted the csa to query the basis on which the end date for the liability of payments is calculated. It was explained to me that this date was governed by the date in which the claimant was no longer eligible for Child Benefit payments from HMRC. As a result of this I informed them that I was not in agreement with the date of 30-8-2016 on the letter for which the calculation for overpayment had been based. This is as I was aware that my son had not been in further education since January 2016 and had indeed been working since the same period. The Advisor promised to look into my claims and put the case into dispute pending further investigations – I was also advised that as the Christmas period was approaching that I may not hear back from anyone until the near year which was understandably agreed on my part.
On the 16th January 2017 I contacted them to request an update regarding my case and was informed that my case was being dealt with by a Caseworker and that I would be contacted by him or one of he’s colleagues within 48 hours with and update – unfortunately I did not receive any call.
I contacted the office again a few days later to enquire why I had not been contacted when stated and to again request an update regarding my disputed case.
I was informed by an advisor that there had been no change to the date in which the original calculation for overpayment had been made, and that the process of investigating fraudulent Child benefit claims ultimately rests with the HMRC office. I was further advised to contact the HMRC and report my claims directly to them citing that this issue had/ was affecting my own child maintenance payments. I promptly rang the HMRC office to report my ex's fraudulent activities and further advise them of details such as college, course and date of which my son terminated his further education, Universal Credit and national insurance details and address. I was advised by the HMRC of their investigation process and further informed that as it was another individual case i.e. My ex partner that I wouldn’t be updated on any progress, and that this could only be done through way of updates from the CSA as they would have limited access to her Child Benefit records.
As I had not heard anything regarding my case for quite some time from the CSA I contacted the office on 10 April 2017 to request an update – the records were once again checked by the advisor I spoke to and I was advised that the dates had not been changed, I was told to contact the HMRC office to see if there investigation process had concluded. Upon speaking to HMRC I was informed that there were no notes on their system relating to my earlier reports and that as a result I would need to re-inform them of my allegations in order for it to be investigated. I expressed my disappointment to the office stating that their process of approximately 4-6 weeks to investigate the claim (despite my initial reports 10 weeks prior) would mean my disputed case would have been pending with the CSA almost 6 months - never less I explained all the details to the advisor for a second time.
On the 8th May I contacted the CSA once more to be informed that the expiry date for the existing notification period was due to expire on 10th May and that my case worker would be in contact – once again no call was received.
Lastly I contacted the CSA office again after receiving no update since my last call yesterday (7 June 2017), I was once again informed that there had been no change in the date in which Child Benefit payment should have ceased. I informed the advisor that level of service I have received to date from the CSA had been extremely poor citing there levels of communication as particularly frustrating and that whilst I fully understood and adhered to the processes that have to take place during this, I felt I have been left in limbo.
Additionally I stated that as a result of the poor level of professionalism and service I have experienced at both the hands of the CSA and HMRC that I was still in debt of approximately £1400 this is excluding the existing £600 overpayment that is still with the CSA whilst the case is in dispute. I have since escalated a complaint regarding my treatment thus far.
I have also raised a complaint to the HMRC regarding my efforts to report fraudulent child benefits by my former partner and there apparent lack of responsiveness to these claims.
As a result of this I was contacted by a rude lady from their customer relations unit today and told condescendingly that as they do not hold any notes relating this on there system (as it is not my case I was passing comment on) relating to my previous calls into there office, that how could I be sure that I have informed them accurately before? I assured her that I had on 2 seperate occasions and surely it must call into doubt the competence of the advisors ability to process information if any had been notes had been omitted (especially twice). I was told to write in and send any accompanying documents as proof - basically do there job for them by the sounds of things!
I was also informed that all claims are passed to the fraudulent claims team and that they would assess if from the information provided (in my cases the info I had already provided is pretty conclusive but they still have not acted) if they would investigate the claims further, lastly she stated that all other departments within HMRC have no access to their findings or if any such investigation was or does take place.
Sorry for the essay but that's where I am at!! I continue to be messed around by these 2 organisations with no end in sight one is blaming the other and the other is not acting.
Any advise would be welcomed
Cheers Ade
In November 2016 the CSA wrote to me notifying that my liability for child maintenance payments to ex partner for my son is no longer in force.
Upon receiving the letter I contacted the csa to query the basis on which the end date for the liability of payments is calculated. It was explained to me that this date was governed by the date in which the claimant was no longer eligible for Child Benefit payments from HMRC. As a result of this I informed them that I was not in agreement with the date of 30-8-2016 on the letter for which the calculation for overpayment had been based. This is as I was aware that my son had not been in further education since January 2016 and had indeed been working since the same period. The Advisor promised to look into my claims and put the case into dispute pending further investigations – I was also advised that as the Christmas period was approaching that I may not hear back from anyone until the near year which was understandably agreed on my part.
On the 16th January 2017 I contacted them to request an update regarding my case and was informed that my case was being dealt with by a Caseworker and that I would be contacted by him or one of he’s colleagues within 48 hours with and update – unfortunately I did not receive any call.
I contacted the office again a few days later to enquire why I had not been contacted when stated and to again request an update regarding my disputed case.
I was informed by an advisor that there had been no change to the date in which the original calculation for overpayment had been made, and that the process of investigating fraudulent Child benefit claims ultimately rests with the HMRC office. I was further advised to contact the HMRC and report my claims directly to them citing that this issue had/ was affecting my own child maintenance payments. I promptly rang the HMRC office to report my ex's fraudulent activities and further advise them of details such as college, course and date of which my son terminated his further education, Universal Credit and national insurance details and address. I was advised by the HMRC of their investigation process and further informed that as it was another individual case i.e. My ex partner that I wouldn’t be updated on any progress, and that this could only be done through way of updates from the CSA as they would have limited access to her Child Benefit records.
As I had not heard anything regarding my case for quite some time from the CSA I contacted the office on 10 April 2017 to request an update – the records were once again checked by the advisor I spoke to and I was advised that the dates had not been changed, I was told to contact the HMRC office to see if there investigation process had concluded. Upon speaking to HMRC I was informed that there were no notes on their system relating to my earlier reports and that as a result I would need to re-inform them of my allegations in order for it to be investigated. I expressed my disappointment to the office stating that their process of approximately 4-6 weeks to investigate the claim (despite my initial reports 10 weeks prior) would mean my disputed case would have been pending with the CSA almost 6 months - never less I explained all the details to the advisor for a second time.
On the 8th May I contacted the CSA once more to be informed that the expiry date for the existing notification period was due to expire on 10th May and that my case worker would be in contact – once again no call was received.
Lastly I contacted the CSA office again after receiving no update since my last call yesterday (7 June 2017), I was once again informed that there had been no change in the date in which Child Benefit payment should have ceased. I informed the advisor that level of service I have received to date from the CSA had been extremely poor citing there levels of communication as particularly frustrating and that whilst I fully understood and adhered to the processes that have to take place during this, I felt I have been left in limbo.
Additionally I stated that as a result of the poor level of professionalism and service I have experienced at both the hands of the CSA and HMRC that I was still in debt of approximately £1400 this is excluding the existing £600 overpayment that is still with the CSA whilst the case is in dispute. I have since escalated a complaint regarding my treatment thus far.
I have also raised a complaint to the HMRC regarding my efforts to report fraudulent child benefits by my former partner and there apparent lack of responsiveness to these claims.
As a result of this I was contacted by a rude lady from their customer relations unit today and told condescendingly that as they do not hold any notes relating this on there system (as it is not my case I was passing comment on) relating to my previous calls into there office, that how could I be sure that I have informed them accurately before? I assured her that I had on 2 seperate occasions and surely it must call into doubt the competence of the advisors ability to process information if any had been notes had been omitted (especially twice). I was told to write in and send any accompanying documents as proof - basically do there job for them by the sounds of things!
I was also informed that all claims are passed to the fraudulent claims team and that they would assess if from the information provided (in my cases the info I had already provided is pretty conclusive but they still have not acted) if they would investigate the claims further, lastly she stated that all other departments within HMRC have no access to their findings or if any such investigation was or does take place.
Sorry for the essay but that's where I am at!! I continue to be messed around by these 2 organisations with no end in sight one is blaming the other and the other is not acting.
Any advise would be welcomed
Cheers Ade
