A message left for us to add

Hi, I am a 'nrpp' and I'd like to share my story and offer my support in your fight for a fairer csa for all.

My only 'crime' for being penalised by the csa is that I fell in love and married a 'nrp'!  We married 4 years ago and at that time my husband who is on CS1 was paying £80 per month for his daughter (thier 24 year marriage had ended 3 yrs previously when his wife kicked him out after she was caught having an affair with his best friend.. whom she later married and is in the process of now divorcing after having yet another affair!!).

My husband moved into my home with me with nothing but a suitcase of clothes as he had been living in a furnished bedsit after leaving everything in the marital home for his wife and kids (he has 3 children but 2 are over 20 yrs so only pays csa now for 1 child)

His ex wife then got very jealous seeing him/us happy and him getting on with his life after 3 years alone and asked the csa for a reassessment because he had moved in with me. My own children are now adults so none live at home and it is just hubby and myself.  I am severly disabled with a number of health problems and get full DLA for both care and mobility components plus Incapacity Benefit.

I did get full rent and council tax benefit, but when my new husband moved in this ceased as the law says he is obliged to support me and pay the bills as he is fully employed. But the csa reassessment came back at over £400 per month a jump of £320 just because he moved in with me! We appealed and it went to a tribunal and was reduced to £232 per month plus £24 per month for arrears of over £4000 claimed as owing because we were advised to continue paying the £80 per month until it was sorted at the tribunal.

My Incapacity Benefit is taken into account when calculating his income but no allowance has been made for my disability. They say I have my DLA for that. Thing is... I can't use my DLA to run a car (which I desperately need to get out of the house) or get extra help with my care needs because we have been forced to use it to live on as we can't survive on £150 a month that is left of my husbands wage after the csa payments, rent, council tax and water rates have come out.

As a result, I am left housebound and reliant on family to help with my care needs.  His ex wife? she works, her new boyfriend who has just moved in works also, she has 3 holidays abroad a year, a very active social life, a car and expensive clothes and jewelry.  Hubby's daughter is now 16 and just started a 2 year course at college. She is a lovely girl and I don't resent anything that goes to her, but it doesn't.. her mum openly admits she uses the csa payments for her holidays (and no.. she doesn't take the daughter with her!) and I know this as we and his ex are neighbours and we see his daughter everyday.

I dearly love my husband, he is my soulmate and the sweetest most caring man I have ever met.. we may be hard up, NEVER go anywhere.. don't have a social life and getting more into debt as time passes.. but at least we are wealthy in love.. we have more than enough of that to last a lifetime.. one thing the csa can't take away from us! And even the csa can't hound us forever, one day it will come to an end and we will be free to get on with our lives.

Yvonne      

Well Yvonne its because of you and others like yourself why we are here. We all wish you and hubby all the best xxx