Is it just me... or... ?

A question about : Is it just me... or... ?

Is the CSA/CMEC/Whatever a complete shambles?

I'm just venting really, not looking for answers

Two months ago I emailed CMO & they told me I could get maintenance from my self-employed ex, they've never managed before but have assured me that they have more powers than they used to.

Since Monday, I've ;

Emailed CMO again & advised them I'd like to progress the case, they gave me a reference number to open a case with CMEC.

Phoned CMEC, adviser asked if I'd ever had a case before - answered yes, but I knew both were closed. Adviser asked me to phone Falkirk & double check that they were both definitely closed.

Phoned Falkirk & was informed there had been two cases and both were definitely completely, utterly closed.

Phoned CMEC again & told them Falkirk had said cases were definitely closed and I had to start a new case.

CMEC phoned back & told me the reference number CMO gave me wasn't valid & I needed to get another one, because without it they can't open a case.

Contacted CMO again, got a new number

Phoned CMEC with new reference number, paid Ј20 to open a new case then spent over an hour giving details, setting up security etc. While on the phone I heard the adviser speaking to a colleague & saying she could see an old case on the system & what should she do?

Today CMEC phoned & advised that one I'd the cases against my ex was still open even though I'd been told three days ago that they definitely weren't, myself and the adviser argued for quite some time as I was irritated at having wasted time starting a new case when there was one already. Adviser offered to double check again & call back.

Adviser phoned back & told me cases were definitely, completely closed, but one hadn't actually been updated to show it was closed (?). Then we spent an hour giving pretty much the same info as I gave on Monday.

So, 7 phone calls, 3 departments & 6 advisers in 4 days! Hoping that's the end of it, but...

Best answers:

• record your phone calls, but advise people you speak to your recording them. they will probably hang up, because they cant tell whats the right thing to do as they dont even know, its made up as they go along
• So, logged into the self-service to track my case and it's showing as closed, I do hope this is some sort of mistake 'cos if it's not then it's ridiculous. We've already had two cases closed without receiving a penny from my ex and the current one was only started on the 9th of this month - surely they can't have given up already?
• So, wow, he's declared himself bankrupt again - second time that I know of - and last time the CSA wiped his arrears (rules in Scotland differ from those in England and Wales), but I have no idea how it'll affect the 'new' claim. The claim started 2 weeks before his bankruptcy, so I assume he can allow payments to fall into arrears then class them as debt & the kids'll have to wait in line while he pays off his gambling debts first.
  *sigh*
  ps if anyone's feeling sorry for him & his lack of cash, his daughter tried to visit him last weekend for the first time in a month & he refused to see her as he "had a night out" to go to...
• Shambles - I got a phone call today to say they phoned my ex to collect his maintenance... erm hello............. he is on COLLECT & PAY because he cant maker regular payments.
  IF they are ringing him up to take the payments, they are doing him a favour and it doesn#t go against him 'forgetting' to pay!
• They've called me today to say an assessment has been made at Ј73 a week and that they're expecting him to pay Ј300+ (includes arrears) directly into my bank account on the 1st of November. If that happens I will eat my cat's litter. They've told me to call them back on the 7th of November if [when] he doesn't pay and I'll be interested to see what action - if any - they take then. To be fair, the named caseworker I've been dealing with has been great, so we'll see.