Hi there Fletch,

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

If I ignore this first letter will they send another one? I am just trying 
to buy some time.  How long before they start making assessments etc and 
going to your employer for a DEO?

Have many been successfully prosecuted for non compliance in the courts?

cheers

Your dealing with the British Gestapo, don't expect any favours. If your 
employed you can't play for time. I would'nt count on getting another 
letter, but who can say what the time scale is, anything from weeks to 
months. If you fail to comply the next thing you might get is a summons and 
if you do and don't have a good excuse for failing to return their forms 
you'll get found guilty

DEO takes longer as they have to get the assesment first but as soon as you 
have accumulated a few hundred pound in arrears and as soon as they think 
your not paying they will go for a DEO. Their only interest is your cash, 
they are the provisonal wing of the treasury. Children don't enter into it 
at all.

"who me?"  wrote in message 
news:LvGdndOk64lhLsDanZ2dnUVZ8h6dnZ2d@bt.com...
> Hi there Fletch,
>
> Thanks for taking the time to reply.
>
> If I ignore this first letter will they send another one? I am just trying 
> to buy some time.  How long before they start making assessments etc and 
> going to your employer for a DEO?
>
> Have many been successfully prosecuted for non compliance in the courts?
>
> cheers
>

You didn't mention whether the pwc was on benefits or what your relationship 
with her was like, but...

You will get one reminder if you're not on benefits, you have 2 weeks to 
return the forms in total.

At that point, they will trace and go straight to your employer (if the 
parent with care hasn't already passed them that information).  They 
probably won't even need to talk to you as they will impose a DEO straight 
away for perceived non-compliance.  The whole process could take a minimum 
of 3 weeks from initial letter to assessment.  It may take longer, but that 
will turn out to be your problem unfortunately.

You will not delay it and you will drop yourself further into debt as they 
will now recover arrears and regular maintenance at a minimum of 30% of 
arrears plus regular maintenance, 40% is the maximum they can take under 
law.  The longer it takes, the more arrears there are obviously.  Your costs 
will count for nothing as child support payments are second only to income 
tax by law, therefore any outstanding debts or housing costs mean nothing. 
It's therefore in your interests to either sort out a private arrangement 
with your ex-partner or comply as quickly as possible.  Fletch is right in 
that employed nrp's cannot escape.

Best thing you can do now, I would suggest, is look on the CSA website and 
work out how much your calculation would be.  If it's roughly what you think 
you should be paying and can afford to pay (or indeed are already paying), 
then there's not really a problem other than the fact they're involved for 
whatever reason.  If you can't afford it, and think of the date the letter 
was sent to you for the potential arrears, then you need to think about your 
next steps.  If the PWC is on benefits then you're on a loser unless you can 
persuade her to get a job or apply for good cause (which isn't guaranteed). 
If she's working, then a private arrangement and case closure is your best 
option.

One thing worth thinking about though, it really doesn't pay to fall out 
with the PWC as she can open and close cases at will.

On-line calculator: 
https://secureonline.dwp.gov.uk/csa/v2/en/calculate-maintenance.asp

On the plus side, because you're on CS2 so it's easy to work out.  Whether 
you'd be better off on CS2 or old rules is debateable though...

"who me?"  wrote in message 
news:LvGdndOk64lhLsDanZ2dnUVZ8h6dnZ2d@bt.com...
> Hi there Fletch,
>
> Thanks for taking the time to reply.
>
> If I ignore this first letter will they send another one? I am just trying 
> to buy some time.  How long before they start making assessments etc and 
> going to your employer for a DEO?
>
> Have many been successfully prosecuted for non compliance in the courts?
>
> cheers
>