Adventures with the Child Support Agency

[Master Yoda]

Hi Gentlemen AND Ladies

I am totally testing the waters here in a space like this. I'd like to start a discussion with people who have had good, bad, and other experiences with the CSA. I have my own long and robust story to tell. If anyone is interested I'd love for this thread to be a place where we can support each other with ideas that can help those of us attached to the CSA to support and encourage each other.

Any takers?

 

[Lord Spikey]

Hi Master Yoda.

You know my story.... It is old now, but may be worthy of retelling, if anyone is interested.

Let's see if anyone is before I begin War and Peace volume II

 

[mountainbikingateve]

Would love too, but certainly in-play legal processes prevent.
Let’s just say lawyers bills paid by me alone would have paid for an entire upper school private education.
Happy to hear from others.

 

[sircurious]

Not sure it will be allowed, if Admin deleted the whole COVID post yesterday, then I can see the same thing happening with this one.

 

[Lord Spikey]

Not sure it will be allowed, if Admin deleted the whole COVID post yesterday, then I can see the same thing happening with this one.

Yeh; I am still trying to find out why, but no answer yet.

 

[Master Yoda]

Not sure it will be allowed, if Admin deleted the whole COVID post yesterday, then I can see the same thing happening with this one.

If they censor this, there is nothing I can do about it. I figured there would be some like minded people here on this matter.

Hi Master Yoda.

You know my story.... It is old now, but may be worthy of retelling, if anyone is interested.

Let's see if anyone is before I begin War and Peace volume II

Brother your story is worth telling. What I learned from it taught me to crush one of my ex wives unreasonably robbery episodes through the CSA. Others should know this secret weapon too

 

[mountainbikingateve]

Forum members. All I can say is be very careful what you post.
It is an offence under the Act <Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989> To communicate any relevant information - <and the term of relevant information is very board>.

 

[Master Yoda]

Yeh; I am still trying to find out why, but no answer yet.

Yeah man I am so disappointed it was removed. It was a hot topic. And the issue will decide if the Perth sec industry thrives or drowns in the near future.

 

[Master Yoda]

Forum members. All I can say is be very careful what you post.
It is an offence under the Act <Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989> To communicate any relevant information - <and the term of relevant information is very board>.

You mean like the many gems of information between to suffering payees and payers on numerous Facebook groups?

But I agree. Anything posted should be with respect for forum members and words chosen carefully.

Please don’t turn this into shit slinging tests on Social Media

 

[mountainbikingateve]

Yeah man I am so disappointed it was removed. It was a hot topic. And the issue will decide if the Perth sec industry thrives or drowns in the near future.

Agreed.
There are many issues that need to be worked through once COVID hits WA like it is over East.

 

[Master Yoda]

Agreed.
There are many issues that need to be worked through once COVID hits WA like it is over East.

Would admin consider bringing back that thread. As people were mostly if not all respectful in it.

 

[Lord Spikey]

Yeah man I am so disappointed it was removed. It was a hot topic. And the issue will decide if the Perth sec industry thrives or drowns in the near future.

Yes; that was the point. I wanted to discuss it and glean others' opinions.

I know a few posters took it off topic to make it personal, or attack people with opinions other than theirs, but there were also some very mature and thought provoking responses.

I really think I deserve to know the reason it was deleted. The subject is definitely not going to go away and discussion is "mostly" healthy and can even inform decision making.
That being said; just because the majority choose to believe something, it doesn't mean that it is true.

Anyway, mountainbikingateve's comment about communicating any relevant information is a little concerning, so I might have to present a "Readers'" Digest" version, which won't have the same effect, nor be that helpful.

 

[ozwarlock67]

The child support agency are the biggest, uncaring, incompetent, inept sons of bitches ever put into beauracracy.

I was paying for a kid that I didn't even know whether or not was mine and so broke that I was driving to work and back in a rusty Dstsun with no brakes.

She was probably spending my money on smokes and the pokies. They don't care.

There was some justice, but I won't go into that here.

They don't care.

 

[Master Yoda]

The child support agency are the biggest, uncaring, incompetent, inept sons of bitches ever put into beauracracy.

I was paying for a kid that I didn't even know whether or not was mine and so broke that I was driving to work and back in a rusty Dstsun with no brakes.

She was probably spending my money on smokes and the pokies. They don't care.

There was some justice, but I won't go into that here.

They don't care.

It is a very unjust system geared towards the paying parent. And in some cases, women have been the victims of CSA while the receiving men earned big and still took what’s left of their ex wives. So it’s not just disgruntled women going after all men like some believe

 

[ozwarlock67]

Forum members. All I can say is be very careful what you post.
It is an offence under the Act <Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989> To communicate any relevant information - <and the term of relevant information is very board>.

The last thing I ever worry about is offending some faceless government department. Who cares what they think?

 

[Lord Spikey]

The last thing I ever worry about is offending some faceless government department. Who cares what they think?

You don't need to care what they think. When interacting with them, just make sure you use their playbook.
Worked for me when Ex Mrs Spikey started playing silly buggers. Three times.

 

[Plumage]

and the term of relevant information is very board

Is it though? It looks to me like it has to be information that was obtained from government files.

"relevant information" means:
(a) information about a person obtained from the records of:
(i) the Department; or
(ii) the Human Services Department within the meaning of this Act as in force at any time; or
(iii) the former Child Support Agency; or
(b) information to the effect that there is no information about a person held in the records of the Department, the Human Services Department or the former Child Support Agency.

 

[Lord Spikey]

Is it though? It looks to me like it has to be information that was obtained from government files.

"relevant information" means:
(a) information about a person obtained from the records of:
(i) the Department; or
(ii) the Human Services Department within the meaning of this Act as in force at any time; or
(iii) the former Child Support Agency; or
(b) information to the effect that there is no information about a person held in the records of the Department, the Human Services Department or the former Child Support Agency.

Cool. Thanks for that. It seems almost all bets are off. Therefore I might be happy to share some stuff, if anyone is truly interested, except I will delete the names to protect the guilty.

You first, Master Yoda

I... AM... SPIKEY

 

[Master Yoda]

Is it though? It looks to me like it has to be information that was obtained from government files.

"relevant information" means:
(a) information about a person obtained from the records of:
(i) the Department; or
(ii) the Human Services Department within the meaning of this Act as in force at any time; or
(iii) the former Child Support Agency; or
(b) information to the effect that there is no information about a person held in the records of the Department, the Human Services Department or the former Child Support Agency.

Well sounds like as long as we are not compromising any individual’s privacy we are clear to speak

 

[Bigdy]

Well, this space is about sex, punting, shemales etc... Needless to say that if any ex wife to be notices a punter helds an account here. The poor bugger most likely will need all the support from the forum.

 

[DickieWu]

I had a 6mths relationship with the mother of my child, as everything was happening so fast and I didn't know what to do. Even I was very happy to pay for anything the mother asked, child support still took the mother's side and started the child support case from the date my child was born.
I had my fair share of research and heated "discussion" with the agency. The case officer enjoyed telling me the law is on their side and the famous term of "ability to earn" over rule everything else. (Even the male staff at the child support office in Perth are a bit up themselves)
I have done my research, look at what are my rights. (Had a 6 hours phone call with one of their senior officer - I pointed out the "old" calculation between South Australia and Western Australia are slightly different (they may had a glitch at the time), how can they assure me that the mother is not working in any form of cash job, since the case manager constantly telling me all the legal consequences before "I step out of line" - what kind of policy are there to ensure the case manager is not exercising bullying behavior and what have they done to look after their male client's metal health. How come most the case managing staff are faceless and not making their office address available, quite opposite how can I assure that the person I am talking to on the phone is who they claimed to be and not some scammer. As long as I am paying child support on time, any phone call from them can cause me unnecessary stress and I may consider it as a form of harassment. (I am quite happy for them to contact me via mail). Anything that I do financially is about exercising my right as a law abide citizen to maximize (tax) benefits like every other Australian in our society.
(I will not go into details on my setup just in case)
Although I was very unhappy about the whole BS situation but I always take up the "Dad's" responsibilities. Spend as much time with my child as possible, the mother tried to play games but as my child get older, it get easier. Also, any extra cost the mother asked I always pay half. I often tell my child that I have no issue paying the money to support my child but it needs to be in my own term and not some BS agency telling me to pay up. Also, the money should go directly to the child and not to the mother who is not required to provide any "spending" evidence to support her claims.
(I probably talk too much - anyway it has been many years now - I am near the end of the tunnel)
To be honest, I am probably spending more money nowaday but I am happy because I am spending the money "with" my child and not giving it to some faceless agency because the law say so.

 

[Channelle]

Would admin consider bringing back that thread. As people were mostly if not all respectful in it.

... and not only that, that thread had gotten me to the 600 'haha' reactions received milestone.
Now I've fallen short by a few, so will have to to find some more wit to use.
Stats are everything!

 

[AmeliaKennedy]

I understand why the system exists however it needs a serious overhual

 

[moremassage]

Yeh; I am still trying to find out why, but no answer yet.

Who is or how do we contact admin

 

[Deleted member 56424]

CSA are a law unto themselves, they are never wrong . Whenever I had a complaint, the standard answer I used to get was "take us to court" . I never missed a payment and always paid what was required but they still used to hassle me.
The system definitely needs to be overhauled to make it fair for everyone.

 

[Albany]

Have my wife 100% - including a 500k cash part.
Deal was I would not pay child support.
Was not in writing.
One year later she went to CSA looking for child support. What a bitch!
I'd also say to anyone younger, never ever have unprotected sex with anyone. You will be paying for it for the next 18 years - 21 years if they go to un iversity.
Slap on the dom and save yourself tens or hundreds of thousands..... Not to mention the heartache and poverty.

 

[baal6007]

Been divorced for several years and have managed to avoid the CSA thus far with an amicable agreement. I do fear the day she decides not to be amicable based on other stories ive heard from peers. That day could come anytime.

 

[Master Yoda]

Been divorced for several years and have managed to avoid the CSA thus far with an amicable agreement. I do fear the day she decides not to be amicable based on other stories ive heard from peers. That day could come anytime.

Many of my friends have copped this because of spite and control. There is nothing pleasant about being at the point end of the CSA

 

[Master Yoda]

CSA are a law unto themselves, they are never wrong . Whenever I had a complaint, the standard answer I used to get was "take us to court" . I never missed a payment and always paid what was required but they still used to hassle me.
The system definitely needs to be overhauled to make it fair for everyone.

Yup they will threaten to take our money straight from the employer.

And does anyone find that speaking to one officer after a 40 minute wait can result differently from speaking to a different officer?

 

[DickieWu]

Yup they will threaten to take our money straight from the employer.

And does anyone find that speaking to one officer after a 40 minute wait can result differently from speaking to a different officer?

Many years ago, when CSA first contact me and threatened me with all their possible legal actions.
I demanded to talk to the person's line manger who claimed to be a senior case officer and I expressed that I have suffer panick attack by their phone call (also I mentioned it should be evidenced because they claimed their phone calls are recoreded)
Then I was dealing with that senior case manager on another issue. (Took a 6 hours phone call, for me to agreed with the issue he raised, I demanded this person to write me a letter to state our conversation ,must indicated in the letter that I have done everything within my right and not to call me again as he is welcome to contact me via mail. If he choose to call before contact me via mail and hide their caller IDs, I will report them for harassment.
I must admit that speaking to the senior staff is more civilized, at least they know how to cover their asses which turned into a more polited conversations.