[semiskimmed]

hi, im putting this here in order to try and get some help or advice on what i can do in the situation im in.
basically im a single man living on his own with no children that live with me. ive got a young daughter who lives with her mother and i work full time but only earn minimum wage.
now for over a year now ive been trying to get the child support agency to calculate how much i need to pay towards my daughters up bringing and theyve only just come up with this amount and its crippling me financially as its got the arrears from the past year which need to be paid off over a year apparently so theyre not prepared to budge on the amount i pay each week, which is 25% of my total take home pay. this amount doesn't even let me pay fully for my traveling expense each week let alone food to eat.
ive tried getting help towards my rent but i only get something like 50p a week towards it and council tax i wont get anything.
i also get a bit from working tax credit but its not much and still doesnt help me pay for a weeks worth of food, if i carry on liek this im not going to either at or manage to pay my rent.
ive tried all the things i can think of to try to get either help towards bills or benefits whilst working.
the only thing i can think of is quitting work and claiming job seekers but im not sure how far the reason would take me that not earning enough?

any help would be fantastic and sorry for a huge long post

[weetsie]

well if your job doesn't pay enough what else can you do?

sign on and get everything paid for you and look for a job that pays well.

[semiskimmed]

Originally Posted by weetsie

well if your job doesn't pay enough what else can you do?

well thats my problem at the moment, i just dont know what to do other than go and claim jsa etc and look for another job. but im open to other suggestions before i do this, as its got to eb done as a last resort. but i need to do something

[orpheus]

There's something seriously wrong with a system that leaves a man unable to pay for rent/food etc. Yes I agree with paying for the cost of your child, but the payments should be at a reasonable level that is within your means. They can't seriously expect someone to live in poverty due to disproportionate child care costs.

[dazza74]

Originally Posted by semiskimmed

hi, im putting this here in order to try and get some help or advice on what i can do in the situation im in.
basically im a single man living on his own with no children that live with me. ive got a young daughter who lives with her mother and i work full time but only earn minimum wage.
now for over a year now ive been trying to get the child support agency to calculate how much i need to pay towards my daughters up bringing and theyve only just come up with this amount and its crippling me financially as its got the arrears from the past year which need to be paid off over a year apparently so theyre not prepared to budge on the amount i pay each week, which is 25% of my total take home pay. this amount doesn't even let me pay fully for my traveling expense each week let alone food to eat.
ive tried getting help towards my rent but i only get something like 50p a week towards it and council tax i wont get anything.
i also get a bit from working tax credit but its not much and still doesnt help me pay for a weeks worth of food, if i carry on liek this im not going to either at or manage to pay my rent.
ive tried all the things i can think of to try to get either help towards bills or benefits whilst working.
the only thing i can think of is quitting work and claiming job seekers but im not sure how far the reason would take me that not earning enough?

any help would be fantastic and sorry for a huge long post

I'm not in this position personally but I can understand your plight from trying to get by on a very low income myself. My personal approach to this situation would be to write down all your monthly expenses on paper and go back to these people and explain it's simply not feasible to pay this amount every month and have money to live. If you don't get anywhere with this tact then I'd personally have no qualms about leaving a job in this situation.

End of the day mate, you've got to be selfish and put yourself first in a situation like this.

[shodan]

Write down how much you get paid then write down a list of EVERYTHING you spend from debts to tax to shopping to shoes to glasses subscription glasses, running a car etc etc. you have to be very honest with this list. Once this is done, go see the citizens advice bureau. Good luck mate.

[rickinyorkshire]

What else do you pay for each month (without going into detail). Such as, Sky, Broadband, Mobile Phone etc. As all these can be scrapped if it means paying for your child's upbringing.

[eric pisch]

Originally Posted by shodan

Write down how much you get paid then write down a list of EVERYTHING you spend from debts to tax to shopping to shoes to glasses subscription glasses, running a car etc etc. you have to be very honest with this list. Once this is done, go see the citizens advice bureau. Good luck mate.

i was going to post this

there's alot of expert advice on this kind of thing on the money saving expert forum

[semiskimmed]

i agree and im not trying to worm out of paying for my child, its a bad situation as i dont trust or get on with my ex partner and turned to the csa to sort this out and so i could pay them without dispute coming back in the future of me not paying etc. ive always tried to be honest with the csa btu they seem hell bent on just screwing me. ive sent pay slips to them and theyve said theyve lost my file twice its a real disaster and now theyre assumign i wont pay and have told me i can appeal but it wont change much. theyve also ptu the attachment of earnings on my wages too so i really cant do much.

[eric pisch]

i really would go ask on the MSE forum, its mainly techie geeks here

they have a CSA specific forum, seams to be some good info

copy n paste your first post there

Child Support - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums

[Nobber22]

Originally Posted by orpheus

They can't seriously expect someone to live in poverty due to disproportionate child care costs.

I guess you haven't had any dealings with the CSA then.

[semiskimmed]

thanks eric, will do that.
still doesnt solve my problem i have at the moment though, and thats either carry on working and not eat and pay my rent or just give up work and try to get some benefits to tide me over whilst i look for another job. the csa arent exactly fast at sorting anything out and i dont want to be homeless.

[Dony]

I can't give you any advise, but if you leave your job voluntarily, will you be able to claim benefits straight away?

All the best.

[eric pisch]

Originally Posted by semiskimmed

thanks eric, will do that.
still doesnt solve my problem i have at the moment though, and thats either carry on working and not eat and pay my rent or just give up work and try to get some benefits to tide me over whilst i look for another job. the csa arent exactly fast at sorting anything out and i dont want to be homeless.

I don't think there's going to be a quick fix, but it will tell you what you can do and where to do it

However it makes for grim reading, the CSA seams to see itself as above the law, in one of the posts a CSA representative actually told a judge he did not have the power to change there decession

[Iccz]

Originally Posted by Dony

I can't give you any advise, but if you leave your job voluntarily, will you be able to claim benefits straight away?

All the best.

Exactly what I was just about to mention, I don't think you can claim JSA if you walk out of a position, you need a grace period of a few months I believe.

[FZR400RRSP]

The system is severely flawed.
For example, we have a bloke here whose wife left him.
His two kids live with her, he's paying so much he lives in a bedsit.
Meanwhile, she has shacked up with a bloke who makes a mint and she has admitted the money she gets from our colleague goes towards holidays and cars...
How frustratingly unfair is that?
He's skint, she's admitting his money is just 'extra'.
Shouldn't the partner's new financial situation come into consideration?

[semiskimmed]

Originally Posted by Iccz

Exactly what I was just about to mention, I don't think you can claim JSA if you walk out of a position, you need a grace period of a few months I believe.

thats my biggest fear really, leaving this job and not getting into a better situation, both seem to be as bad as each other.
i must have been quite naive to think that the csa woudl be as fair with me as i have tried to be with them, but no they just go for the throat without compromise

[orpheus]

Originally Posted by FZR400RRSP

The system is severely flawed.
For example, we have a bloke here whose wife left him.
His two kids live with her, he's paying so much he lives in a bedsit.
Meanwhile, she has shacked up with a bloke who makes a mint and she has admitted the money she gets from our colleague goes towards holidays and cars...
How frustratingly unfair is that?
He's skint, she's admitting his money is just 'extra'.
Shouldn't the partner's new financial situation come into consideration?

Of course it should. Hope I never have to deal with this madness.

[benhaha85]

You really need to talk to the citizens advice bureau about this, they'll be able to give you the best advice.

[dazza74]

I don't think you can just walk out on a job, it's seen as your choice in the eyes of the job centre. Could take month's before anyone would switch on JSA's although in reality JSA's at £64 a week is only the starting point, you've then got to fill out all the paperwork to get housing benefit, council tax relief etc.

I sadly think the OP's only option might be to not pay the child support and get the matter dragged back into court perhaps, at least that way he could put his side of the story and maybe get a more sympathetic hearing.

[semiskimmed]

Originally Posted by dazza74

I sadly think the OP's only option might be to not pay the child support and get the matter dragged back into court perhaps, at least that way he could put his side of the story and maybe get a more sympathetic hearing.

well theyre collecting the money straight from my wages as theyve gone directly to my employer for the payments each week, this is becasue im apparently not willing to pay any child support. this is despite me sending in paperwork and proof of income etc to them, and being told theyve lost it all a couple of times. i dont see how i can stop them taking it as my employer is legally obliged to give it to them.

[FZR400RRSP]

Originally Posted by semiskimmed

i dont see how i can stop them taking it as my employer is legally obliged to give it to them.

I've heard of employers 'doing things' that results in employees paying less to the CSA though.
I don't know how, but I have heard of it.
I would assume it's massaging of figures to show you earn less than you do.
Perhaps, I don't know, seperate payments for overtime?
So that part of your earnings isn't taken into account?
I don't know, I'm guessing, I just know I've heard of it happening.

[A Legal Beagle]

AFAIK, if you walk out of a job, you have to wait around 6 weeks before being able to apply for JSA.

IMO the CSA are just goverment agency bullies with too much power and it has already been said, the system is fundamentally flawed

A starting point for the OP is here;

FAQ - Appealing against our decisions - Child Support Agency

If you appeal and have to goto the tribunal, you can try and persuade them that your a 'man of straw' and are struggling to make financial ends meet. To add some weight you can tell the tribunal about how the CSA have mis handled your case.

The problem is, as a general rule they take a percentage of a persons net earnings without having to have consideration of ANY outgoings.

Good luck OP

[Duncan G]

If you walk out of a job to sign on, the Job Centre can suspend your benefit for between two weeks to six months on the grounds you did not have good reason for leaving. And leaving on the grounds outlined will not be accepted.

Consider a part time 2nd job?

Consider getting a better paid job - but of course the CSA will go up!

Work abroad as the CSA can't touch you outside the UK.

Here's the child Support Agency calculator;

https://secureonline.dwp.gov.uk/csa/...aintenance.asp

Put your income details in and housing cost ect to double check the assessment.

[ste v p]

Originally Posted by FZR400RRSP

The system is severely flawed.
For example, we have a bloke here whose wife left him.
His two kids live with her, he's paying so much he lives in a bedsit.
Meanwhile, she has shacked up with a bloke who makes a mint and she has admitted the money she gets from our colleague goes towards holidays and cars...
How frustratingly unfair is that?
He's skint, she's admitting his money is just 'extra'.
Shouldn't the partner's new financial situation come into consideration?

I've heard stories like this before. It gives an insight into the thinking behind groups such as fathers for justice (not that I'm condoning all that they do). My mum used to tell me horror stories about a friend's son who was trapped by a girl, she had a daughter whom he never saw but CSA made him pay a quarter of his earnings to the mum. She made certain if I was going to be 'intimate' with a girl, I would use protection.

[Duncan G]

Originally Posted by A Legal Beagle

The problem is, as a general rule they take a percentage of a persons net earnings without having to have consideration of ANY outgoings.

Good luck OP

Not quite. The CSA do disregard housing costs, any night the child spends with you reduces the CSA.

[A Legal Beagle]

Originally Posted by Duncan G

Not quite. The CSA do disregard housing costs, any night the child spends with you reduces the CSA.

As a general rule, but as you have rightly pointed out, their are provisions which reduce the Child support.

The maintenance calculator you have linked to allows the user to make provision for the number of nights the child(ren) stop at the non resident parents house.

The more nights the child(ren) spend at the non resident parents house the less child support is paid.

[Phil57]

Originally Posted by rickinyorkshire

What else do you pay for each month (without going into detail). Such as, Sky, Broadband, Mobile Phone etc. As all these can be scrapped if it means paying for your child's upbringing.

Question, but no hint to an answer.

[mrapbp]

I totally agree with this but if that leaves a gap for what it costs to bring up a child then who should pay?

Originally Posted by orpheus

There's something seriously wrong with a system that leaves a man unable to pay for rent/food etc. Yes I agree with paying for the cost of your child, but the payments should be at a reasonable level that is within your means. They can't seriously expect someone to live in poverty due to disproportionate child care costs.

[semiskimmed]

Originally Posted by rickinyorkshire

What else do you pay for each month (without going into detail). Such as, Sky, Broadband, Mobile Phone etc. As all these can be scrapped if it means paying for your child's upbringing.

sorry missed this.
well i mentioned i cant afford food for myself after paying everythign else so i dont have any of the little luxury items. theyve been stopepd. i literally have no money and im borrowing money from my family to cope with this over the past few weeks btu its not a permanent thing i can do