19. Miscellany

19.1. Does the CSA have to believe what I tell them? (2001-10-31)

A tribunal case has found that the CSA must believe the answers you give to them as fact, unless they have GOOD reason to believe you are lying.

Officers administering social security (including that branch known as Child Support) are bound by reported Commissioners' Decisions. In R(SB) 33/85, the learned Commissioner held that a claimant's own [written or oral] statements are evidence and that an adjudicating authority must have regard to that evidence, unless the evidence were self-contradictory or inherently improbable.

That was a Supplementary Benefit decision, but is applied across all disciplines, including benefits, the National Insurance Contributions scheme and Child Support. In effect, even unopposed evidence need not be accepted if to do so would defy reason or logic.

19.2. What happens if you lie to the CSA? (2001-10-31)

Since 31st January 2001 it has been an offense to lie to the CSA or withold information which is known. The penalty is up to £1000.

19.3. What is a Connell Order? (2001-10-31)

It is an Order which provides for maintenance of a wife and children. A court decides what a husband has to pay globally to a wife and children, and makes an order for payment of that amount "less the amount of any CSA calculation".

It ensures that a husband is not made worse off if his wife goes to the CSA. If the wife goes to the CSA she is no better off because the husband deducts whatever the CSA demands from what he was paying under the Connell Order.

Suppose a wife has an Order for £100 per week for her and kids. If a Connell Order has been made and she then goes to CSA and gets £40.00 by way of assessment, husband then pays her £60.00 and CSA £40.00

19.4. Do I need to inform the CSA when my circumstances change? (1999-07-28)

No. But you may want to be reassessed. See "Reviews - Change of Circumstances"

19.5. Are CSA payments taken into account for Housing Benefit? (1999-07-28)

Apparently not.

19.6. What if the PWC is defrauding the benefits system? (1999-07-28)

The AP could write to the CSA and tell the DSS via the National Fraud Hotline, keeping their MP informed.

The CSA are unlikely to be interested but they should be. Any income the PWC has is ignored if they are claiming benefits. If they do have income which is ignored this way then the AP's assessment will be higher than it should be.
On this basis you can appeal any resulting assessment quoting the phrase 'departure from the formula assessment'.

An assessment made when benefit is incorrectly paid to the PWC should be set aside according to a Child Support Commissioner's decision. Unfortunately this decision was reversed in June 98 by the Court of Appeal but this latter judgement may have been flawed.

By the time the AP gets to tribunal (note the implicit assumption that the CSA will not set aside the assessment!) the DSS should've investigated and taken the PWC off benefits. That's the evidence needed for the tribunal.

19.7. What can I do if the CSA does not give me the maintenance? (2001-10-31)

We do not know of any method to force the CSA to hand over maintenance. Any advice will be appreciated.

Asking an MP to intervene and complaining (see complaints procedure) may help.

19.8. What is the PWC's bonus scheme? (1999-07-28)

"From 7 April 1997 up to UKP 5 per week of any child maintenance received by a person with care on income support (IS) or income based jobseeker's allowance (JSA) is set aside by the Benefits Agency towards a bonus irrespective of whether that person or a partner is the claimant; however, should a bonus be awarded it will be payable to the recipient of the child maintenance.

This set aside continues for each week that child maintenance is paid for the qualifying child living with the family in receipt of benefit. Any such bonus period can be linked to another in certain circumstances, for example where the gap is less than twelve weeks or where certain other benefits are received.

Child maintenance includes maintenance paid by an absent parent under a CSA assessment, an agreement (whether enforceable or not) and a court order, and as deductions from IS/JSA (these now amount to UKP 5 per week). Where an absent parent pays more than his liability, only the amount liable counts towards the UKP 5 set aside. As is to be expected, only maintenance taken into account in calculating the IS/JSA will count towards the bonus.

Statements may be sent by the Benefits Agency of the amount estimated to be due as a bonus.

The bonus is payable when the person with care or her partner returns to work within 14 days of leaving IS/JSA. The bonus must be claimed, usually within 28 days of leaving IS/JSA. The amount payable will be the lowest of:
a) the amount set aside during the bonus period;
b) the amount of child maintenance paid during the bonus period; or
c) UKP 1000

The bonus payments will be ignored for 52 weeks when calculating other means-tested benefits, such as family credit. The bonus will also be payable where the person with care on IS/JSA reaches 60/pensionable age respectively."

(Source: Emma Knights, MAY [1997] Family Law, pp 345,346)

19.9. What sort of people work at the CSA? (1999-07-28)

Administrative Officers earn UKP 4.14 to 5.79 per hour. And there are target-orientated bonus schemes.

You don't buy the most competent administrators in the world for those rates. And you don't expect them to put in much effort where there aren't any targets -- like correcting mistakes.

Some of the voices on the phone and writing styles suggest that they are not all matured by the passage of years.

19.10. How can I phone the CSA when the line's always busy? (1999-07-28)

Why not substitute any 3 digits for the last three zeros, e.g. for Belfast, try 0345 132328 instead of 0345 132000. Then ask for the department you want. At the same time note the name of the person or section which answers and report it to the newsgroup so we can build a CSA telephone directory. Please try and get a name, job title and section.

Here are some 0345 numbers:
132000 Switchboard, Belfast
132010 FAX
132011 FAX
132014 FAX
132092 CAS 5 - Dennis Rogan
132100 Internal switchboard, Belfast
132114 FAX
132200 Management Office - Michael
132212 Parliamentary unit - Catherine McCullum
132216 Customer Services - Cathy Keenan
132226 FAX
132230 Customer Services - Debbie Taylor
132234 Head of IT
132238 Head of IT
132248 Projects & Planning
132314 Projects & Planning - Martin Boyd
132316 Projects & Planning
132328 Quality(!) - Frances McMullan
132377 CAS 3 review section
132379 CAS 3 accounts section
132413 Enforcement - Sian
132500 CAS 2 - Gerry Boyle
132533 CAS 1 - Catherine
132601 Mary McGrath
132626 FAX

133613 Central Appeals Unit - David Pope

136191 Customer Services - David Anderson
137000 Switchboard
137262 Reviews Section
137285 Debt Management/DEOs
137321 Debt Management/DEOs
137379 FAX Reviews Section
137531 Reviews Manager
137581 Debt Management/DEOs
137597 Debt Management/DEOs
137599 Reviews Section
137606 FAX Reviews Section
137627 Reviews Section

138000 Switchboard, Birkenhead

And some 01 numbers:

01206 288052 Colchester - Mrs Carmichael

01232 339 plus extension - reverse charge to Belfast office

01232 339XXX is the same extension as 0345 132XXX

01284 775550 Bury St Edmunds - Roger Barber

01384 574833-5 Chief Executive's Office - Geoff Ogle,
Martim Bamber, Amanda Brumell, Paul Stacey
01384 574836 Chief Executive's Office FAX
01384 574900 Parliamentary Correspondence - Dave Moody
01384 574925 Parliamentary Correspondence FAX
01384 488480 A FAX, Dudley Accounts?

01473 267897 Ipswich

0151 649 2381 FAX, Birkenhead.
0151 649 2220 FAX, Arrears, Birkenhead

0191 225 3954 FAX, Data Protection

Beware! If telephoning always write in confirmation of the call. That way, unless the CSA write back denying your version, you have a written record of what was said. Unless you forgot the standard advice on getting proof of posting the letter!