csa bullying

[MangoPete]

A friend is being chased for CSA by her violent expartner and his sister
A year ago in a drug induced state her youngest daughter 14 yrs tried to murder her. She was arrested and instead of going into care was placed with her fathers sister.
Her father had been living in Spain so he didn't have to pay CSA to his 5 children to various women.
he has now come back to the UK and is allegedly on the dole and he and his sister have put in a claim for CSA.
My friend has worked very hard over the past few years to buy a house with a mortgage but cannot afford to pay the csa . Her other daughter is terrified of the younger one so a family reunion is not an option is there any way out
What can she do to reduce CSA?

[Pippa68]

I would have thought that your friend would be liable for maintenance payments as she is the absent parent ~ and legally all absent parents are assessed if the CSA are contacted.

It has to work both ways, I'm afraid.

[Beanmistriss]

Like Pippa said it works both ways. If you choose to have kids you need to support them.

[MangoPete]

I am sorry she IS supporting them one at home and also paying her expartners sister. In addition to monthly financial support the woman also gets the child benefit and child tax credit.


She has spent 13yrs caring for this child without any support herself, dragging herself up from parental abuse, via homelessness, just to find it in a partner whose brother is in strangeways for murder.but all that was 14 years ago
She has now made a better life for herself and daughter
then history comes back to haunt her.
I worked with homeless people and womens aid for 2 decades. hers is one of the saddest stories yet she has overcome so much.

I did not ask for a judgement on my friend and I am sad you both choose to do this.

This is not what I expect of AB ers

Usually we try to help each other on this site without Judgement

I asked for advice to help her with the CSA as she came to me for advice and I am fortunate enough not to have to know about CSA

[Beanmistriss]

I feel for your friend and her circumstances in her past but it is not judging her to say that she needs to support her child. If she is currently paying the sister in law money then she would not have to pay this and CSA on top (note you did not mention this ion your origional post)

Child benifit and tax credits should quite rightly go to the person who has the child. Its unfortunate that she did it all herself with no support before but it does not absolve her of responsibility of paying for her child now.

In your origional post the question was what can she do to reduce her CSA? the answer as far as I know is noting. But with the information you have added in trying to have a go at us I can tell you that if she pays CSA then she will not be obliged to give them more money on top.

[Pippa68]

As Beanmistriss says.

I certainly was not judging ~ just saying it how it is. I don't deal with the CSA but my husband does. If things can be worked out without them getting involved, the better it is for all.

I am afraid if you ask a Q on a public forum then all answers have to be taken. Neither of us were rude, and we based our answers on the information given.

If maintenance is already being paid, the CSA can still get involved to assess that the amount is correct. If correct, the payments won't be increased. The person caring for the child is entitled to the tax credits and child benefit.

[yummymum]

In my experience CSA try and get you to sort it between yourselfs, when contacted by the CSA your friend needs to tell them that she already as an agreement with the childs Aunt and is willing to stick to the agreement, they are then likely to ask your friend to put this into writting and will contact the Aunt to make sure she is happy with the situation. Any nogotiations can be taken from here. If the aunt still wants it to go through CSA then they are likely to take upto 15% of her wage (not all of which will go to the child, and the Aunt needs to be aware of this}. It would be best if the 2 adults could talk and come up with a solution between them selfs the CSA do not like to get too involved but when they do both parties can end up worse off. If I was your friend I would point out that if she was to go through CSA then she could end up getting other benifits reduced as they do take everything into account, They knid of give in one hand and take with the other.

In the mean time all your friend can do is keep a record of any money she gives to the Aunt, the best way of doing this is to put it into a bank account which is in the Aunt name and keep bank receipts etc, that way it can never be said that she as never give any money

Good luck to your friend

[Fairie]

the CSA usually assess what you can afford to pay and to do this they take your income minus mortgage or rent payments and then say you can afford to pay x amount, but if the woman is already getting child benefit etc. i'm sure she doesnt need to worry any further, CSA cant take what she doesnt have.
i wish her good luck,