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The Child Maintenance Service is proposing to transfer all direct Pay cases over to Collect and Pay, to better handle compliance. Do you agree?
Please spend a few minutes to respond to their consultation:
Respond online:
Wow, I just read that ministerial briefing. Talk about an instituting a system of collective punishment. Some people don’t want to play by the rules so, we’re gonna charge everyone 2%. Or we’ll waive the fee if you DD. Trust us we have a robust system of due process in place. What a clown show. Please, please, please add your input to the public consultation.
This is an unsettling read once I digested what they're trying to do. Nothing like empowering CMS to be judge and jury, tarring the compliant paying parents with the same brush as the non-compliant ones. I filled out the questionnaire and hope it doesn't go unnoticed.
Does this benefit overpayments? For example if I overpay on direct pay to other parent because they are late about notifying child benefit ceasing due to leaving education, I have to ask for refund from other parent, answer would be a firm NO. With Direct Debit or collect and pay if I overpaid, would I get an automatic refund from CMS whenever resolved with CMS then having to deal directly with other parent about seeking claw back?
Having read this I feel that it's an absolute joke! Give an organisation more power and ability to financially punish those that abide by the rules just because a slack handful of people don't.
Unfortunately I'm in a position where I'm being massively penalised in all levels. Despite having my child's birth certificate etc, CMS claim that the name on my case doesn't match. I told them I shouldn't be paying then as it clearly isn't my child.
They won't tell me the name either so even if I wanted to supply evidence, I can't and their caseworkers have agreed with me....yet they won't do nothing about it.
I either have to pay for a DNA test which I won't be refunded for. I can stop paying but they'll put me on a DEO and charge me an extra 20% on top for the privilege.
As it stands I'm hoping as my child is 19 next month (and if course it is this child I'm paying for seen as I only have 1) I only have 1 year left of dealing with these clowns.