1 in 5 Child Support Claims are fraudulent
Single moms are purposely naming the wrong person as the daddy of their kids when making financial claims for child support.
Others had so many sexual partners that they are uncertain exactly which one is the daddy, meaning they coincidentally give CSA officers the inaccurate identity. Child support Agency figures show that almost one in 5 of the contested paternity claims it handled last year cleared the person originally named as the daddy.
It’s a criminal offence to make a fake statement or representation and to provide fake documents or info. But, according to the CSA, there hasn’t been a single prosecution of a mum for making a fake claim. It is the highest proportion since the agency started assembling figures nationally. ‘This is an intensely troubling trend and one where correct action should be taken,’ announced Tory work and pensions speaker Chris Grayling. Under CSA rules, a person has to pay maintenance as fast as he is named the kid’s father. He will be able to challenge the ruling by asking for a DNA test, but must pay for it himself. The pricetag, typically £257, is reimbursed by taxpayers if the paternity claim is located to be incorrect, but there’s no comeback on the ma for making a fake claim. The DNA tests involve taking a blood sample or swab of cells from within the cheek. Research by the Tories has demonstrated that of the more than 6,200 absent folks living abroad, only a quarter pay any child assistance and five thousand owe a total of more than £26million.
The soon-to-be ditched CSA is more expensive than £500million a year to run and has a buildup of 121,000 cases. More than one in 3 absent pops fails to pay any upkeep, leaving £3.8billion excellent, of which £2.2billion is ‘probably uncollectable’. The agency is lined up to be replaced by the Child Upkeep and Enforcement Commission by 2013.
A Dep. for Work and Pensions spokesperson said : ‘We have a fair and tough system in place to make sure that where paternity is disputed a DNA test can be brought to create the daddy of a kid. ‘Of the total caseload handled by the CSA in 2007-2008 only 1 % led to a DNA test and the argument was upheld in less than 0.2 percent of cases.
‘The CSA will consider each case on its own merits before making a call to take criminal events against an individual. In each case there would have to be decisive proof to prove in court the girl intentionally named the wrong person as the daddy. ‘The agency would also think about the effect on the well being of the kid of a call to prosecute. ‘.
Disgusting. My brothers name wasn’t even put on the birth certificate so she could get more money out of the state as a ’single mum left all on her lonesome’ And she still demands (and gets) money off him! Now you know why I call her Satan…..
I had a one night stand 8 years ago and 2 weeks later this lady came and told me she was pregnant. I was totally flabbergasted by this and thought she was trying to set me up. When the baby was born she declared I was the father. So I requested a DNA test and it came back 99% positive.
I realised that I now had a finqncial responsibility for this child and filled in all the necessary forms. By the time this was all the sorted the Child was roughly 16 months old and so they backdated 16 months worth of debt and took teh maximum of 30% + out of my wages which meant I was basically working for nothing. I struggled with this for nearly 2 years and got into a lot of debt and started drinking heavily.
Then in Jan 2004 I had a terrible accident as a result of too much to drink and ended up on a life support machine with ablood clot on the brain and MRSA pnuemonia.
Against the odds I survived and came out of hospital 5 weeks later. I managet to get back to acertain level of fitness but suffered with severe tinnitus and dizziness.
As aresult of this I was and still am unable to work and lost my house.
I recently received altter off the CSA stating that I owe the over 9k, now eher ther have dreamt this figure up from I have no idea.
The date of the child was stated on the letter and checking back through the dates I found tthat this baby would have been born at 32 weeks but she weighed in at more than 6lbs which is alot more than average.
Is it possible that the lab that did the testing got it wrong or “fitted” me up even.
Stephen, it is possible that the lab got it wrong, but it is unlikely. I recall a number of years ago a news report of some labs that were not actually doing any DNA testing and just sending back a positive/negative result completely randomly.
My guess is that if it a government accredited DNA agency then the result is probably yours.
I know here in the UK, if you are out of work for any length of time then you will only be required to pay a nominal amount for that period of time. So it makes sense to cooperate with the CSA and provide them with that information.
There are other ways to reduce your maintenance depending on how your being assessed (in the UK). I’ll make a post over the next few days on how to go about reducing your payments.
I had a very brief relationship 15 years ago that resulted in a child. Although I did not stay with the mother, I have paid her maintenance fior the child every month since then. This was paid through the bank as a standing order.
Three months ago, without any warning she went to the CSA who immediately assessed me and started taking a large sum of money directly from my employer. I contested and demanded a DNA test.
To my complete surprise the result has come back negative! The CSA are going to reimberse me with the cost of the test and all of the money from the last three months.
My question to the forum is, has anybody ever succeded in getting any money back from a fraudulent mother in a case such as this? I am looking into a county court action for the money paid over 15 years but could do with an example to get the ball rolling.
Colin, thanks for posting. Someone tried that recently but got nowhere. (Mark Webb)
You only get your money back if it goes via the Child Support Agency… god forbid they hold a woman accountable for something!
Thanks for getting back to me. I suspected as much.
It was quite a relief to be able to get the CSA to stand down, a very stressful couple of months. I suppose I will have to be content with that.
Good luck to anyone else going through this.
No problem.. like I said…I don’t fancy your chances. I would however seek legal advice if you wish to take it further.
Colin – we have contacted the bbc one show about paternity fraud and they are interseted in running a story on this. If your on facebook i posted the info to contact the bbc reporter on ‘Stop Paternity Fraud’ group. I have also added the email address of the reporter on here under the backlash on mark webb. I did include a phone number on the facebook page though as well.
It is disgusting that the CSA use all these powers to collect money off ‘named fathers’ and the so called ‘mothers’ get away with fraud. We have an affectionate name for my hubbys ex – bunny boiler! She now got 2 children – by 2 different dads both of which are unknown and in dispute. She has had 2 abortions and we unsure whether she had a miscarriage or another abortion for another pregnancy (different dads again). Resulting in 5 pregnancies – one a year and she is only 24. I should add that she remarkably gets pregnant by the guys she names straight away but only kept the 2 pregnancies she could get the most money out of.
Personally women like her should be sterilised as they are breeding machines and terminate pregnacies if the child to be born wouldnt be much use to them financially. They only have their own interests at heart and not that of the poor unfortunate children born to them.
I hope the law gets changed and the csa alter their stance in paternity fraud cases as in a day of equality the system lets these women have more rights. The csa wrote a letter to my hubby saying they make no moral judgement as to why bunny boiler hasnt attended the court ordered dna test but support her right to obtain maintenance off my hubby!! I bet they would have made a moral judgement if my hubby had not of attended!!
Role on the court case – lets hope the magistrates put a stop to this illegal farce!
Hi, after a bit of advice please,
15 years ago the girl i was living with fell pregnant, so i did the decent thing and married her. 18 months later we were divorceed, and I lost the houses and everything in it. Plus i had the CSA after me for maintence for the child. The thought didn’t cross my mind that the child might not be mine so i agreed to the payments which was £25 month direct to the CSA for back payments and £350 month direct to the mother (this was not my choice but directed to do so by CSA. Over the years as the child grew up i began to have my doubts about where he was mine or not.
As my new wife was due to have ababy last year, i talked to her about my doubts and we decided to do a DNA test. This was done and the results came back as NEGATIVE. (not my son).
This was rather upsetting, but when i confrunted my Ex wife she admitted that she was sleeping with someone else at the time. So i stopped all payments!
I’ve contacted the CSA and sent the DNA result in, but they have told me that i need to get the tests done by a company reconised by them. This could prove difficult as im nolonger talking with my ex wife.?. what can i do?…..
I have seen many articles and reports on claiming money back? The CSA was a bit woollie over this? they have said that i will probably get back the £25 pounds a month
as this was paid directly to them. but didn’t think I would get the 350 a month back?….I questioned this as it was them that told me to pay her directly..?…..Where do i stand on this?….
Also will i get the money back dated to the date i made my first payment?….or will it be from when i notified them?…
Can i make a claim againist her?…..As she is married again with two more kid in a nice house…where i have struggled all my life with the depts from having to pay CSA .
many thanks
Simon
You should get back ALL the money you have paid to the via the CSA dating back to the date you started paying. (the £25 month)
To start I would get all your documentation from the CSA under the freedom of information act and then start legal proceedings from there on with the help of a legal professional. The CSA will try to fob you off…. don’t let them.. follow everything up in writing.
Good Luck!