Hi all,
Brief background
I have been paying CSA via a deduction of earnings order for many years, now it has moved over to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) they tried to contact me back in June 2017 however they wrote to the wrong address, so I did not receive the letter. To my surprise I was called to the pay office when they informed myself that they had received paperwork from the CMS instructing that they pay the amount shown in the paperwork that they had received, which was a lot more than I was paying on the CSA system. After contacting the CMS to ask why the response was well we have written to you (yes at the wrong address). Yes, I get it they work from with the tax office to find out how much tax I have paid and work it all out from there. This has been going on for months my ex made contact with them in April 17 by the time I found out about it, it was July now my account is showing as in large arrears. However, to make matters even worse for me they have add 20% for using the service.
Question
why am I paying 20% for collect and pay service (deduction of earnings order) that I have not asked for and my ex partner is only paying 4% she asked for the service not me surly that's not right? I am not on talking terms with my ex or child so direct payment will not be an option
Long and short you are paying the 20% because that's how it is defined in law.
You do not have to be on speaking terms with your ex to pay direct though - try asking and they will send your ex a form for her to fill in with bank details, she sends that to them, they send it to you. Then you can pay direct without any contact. They will advise her how to have a non-geo bank account if she wants that.
Thanks for this David,
I have tried this and said I am willing to pay direct, however the CMS have said that I will need to continue with the deduction of earnings order for six month before they would set up a direct payment to my ex and that's only if she would agree to it however, if she know it is cost me more money by deduction of earnings order she will carry on doing it that way. At the end of the day she will win.
Si
I'd contact the CMS in 6 months as they suggest and say you want them to allow you to go on to direct pay - it isn't up to your ex whether CMS use this, as long as you keep up the payments if you get on to direct pay.