Hi All,
I pay through the CSA for my 2 children. My payments are £812 per month. This has always been done on an annual review in June each year. This has always been the way.
This year my ex has somehow heard that I got a good bonus in April 2022. Normally this gets calculated in the following years payments. However, she’s asked for another review now, so she wants the bonus money.
Therefore, they’ll back date the claim to April this year, and then base next years payments on the same P11D.
When it suits the CSA they say they don’t vary the payments unless it’s a 25% window. However, they’ll change it when they suits them and then it never goes down, as my luck it always goes down 24 %.
Anyone ever had anything similar? Or argued that if they base their annual calculations based on the annual P11D, then it should stay that way.
I know I’ll end up paying more due to my bonus. But how can they change it just when it suits.
any help / advice welcomed.
Can you afford to put the bonus into pension? If so, I'd certainly put some of it in, and that may well avoid the CMS using it in their calculation.
@actd I posted similar issue last week. As you say, once they include it it does not come off. I received a good bonus last year, CMS up £200 per month, this year I have no bonus coming. But CMS keep the £200 payment because I received last year, so they assume the same will happen this year. Of course when I dont get the bonus, neither CMS nor my Ex will give me the money back!
i suppose all you can do is use their 25% rule, and let them know whenever your income drops/increases by 25% and they should recalculate.
@bill337 That was what I thought and did exactly that. But the form says 'have you received a bonus in the last 12 months' and then 'how much was it'. They then apply it to your 25% reduction request and say it does not exceed it. I then call them to say i am not getting a bonus this year and he said, if you got one last year, we have to assume you will get one this year......bizarre!
@hrabbit can you get a written confirmation from your employer to say you are not getting a bonus this year? If you can, and they ignore that, then I'd put in an official complaint.