child support.....not father support!!! (CSA Child Support Agency)

Member Name: sparky111

Product:	CSA Child Support Agency
Date:	10/10/08 (60 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: none

Disadvantages: too many

CSA......supposed to stand for child support agency!!

ive been with the csa for 4 years and its been a right pain to try and get help with my childs funding,i went the first year with no financial help at all from "the father" it was an immense struggle as my child was a baby at the time and needed clothes, nappies, milk, and not to mention all the accesories needed all of which i had to save up for.

when payments did finally start i wondered why there was a deduction for his step children as 15% is allowed for the first one and 10% for each one after,even though they get csa support from their father,it was a farce.not to mention the endless phone calls i had to make to sort it out and then had a bigger phone bill to boot!!!

meanwhile i got £10 a week and my childs father was having abroad holidays left right and centre, bought a house with his mistress, new kitchen built, new cars, all designer clothes...the list was endless, but couldnt even bring his child a packet of sweets on his not so regular visits!!!

then came the arrears,and even though for months my child went without,because i was then on benefits i was allowed my £10 but the rest went to the government,so my child never got her arrears,in the end my ex paid £25 and my child got £10 of it.

the payments have been sorted for a year now,and have been recieving it ok,but got a letter last month saying its all going to change,and there are two choices given

either:
ALL the amount will come to me but my working tax credit will change to make up for it
or:
make an agreement with ex that he pays the amount to me(which after all the fuss in the first place he will agree but never stick to it)

so really there is only one choice to be had.
i think in principal the csa is a good idea if it was done properly,but in practice its just made life difficult as its the child that suffers in the end because they have gone without

Summary: they need to pull their finger out!