How the CSA put psychological pressure on fathers - telephone terror:

The CSA tries to only put its final decisions in writing. All other information is gathered by telephone. They say it is for speed, but this is flimsy arguement since any payments to be made are backdated to the date of the application. Nevertheless it means you can be phoned by the CSA at any time in working hours, whether you are in a meeting, on the train or toilet or whatever (see a youTube video of one father conversing with the CSA). Since it always occurs in office hours (i.e. their hours) you will almost never have your personal files to hand. The psychological pressure quickly builds up and after a week or two of this many fathers, still under the shock of the divorce proceedings, are reduced to terrorized wrecks.

From hearing other stories I am sure that many men are being "mislead" and coerced by staff into giving information that you do not have to divulge, and that could harm your case. The CSA can phone you, but you cannot phone them back (they phone from a withheld number), so any momentary slip of the tongue will have a permanent effect. For example they may pose the question if you want to pay child maintenance followed by some formulation like “you do want the best for your children, don’t you?” and you obviously want the best for your children, but don’t see why the CSA has to be involved, however you blurt “yes but ....” upon which the case worker will triumphantly exclaim “OK I confirm you have said yes to the payments, thank you” and will ring off. You cannot ring back and clarify because the number is withheld!

The CSA will try to get you on the phone. The only antidote is FROM THE VERY BEGINNING you must refuse to talk to them and get them to send you everything in writing. Only this way will you have opportunity to compose a considered reply. Once you have had one telephone interview with them then you are in their clutches ... so start as you mean to go on! Try to remember these facts:

• Case workers are trained in what could be called high pressure sales technique. I have come across some that have learnt techniques that would make experienced telemarketing professionals green with envy.
• Many CSA employees see themselves as some sort of feminist crusaders, they take wringing money out of men as a personal cause: the majority of the case workers I spoke with were single mums.
• You will be advised that calls “may be recorded for training purposes”, this is a downright lie, because every nanosecond of every call is automatically recorded and the recordings will be used against you.

They will tell you that you have said this or that, but to check if this is correct or not you either have to record every conversation (which no-one can) or you will have to file a request for the audio recordings by means of a Freedom of Information Act disclosure ... every time! Understandably few men can keep doing this for very long.

The CSA are very slippery on the phone see this youTube clip, and the Dead Beat Dads Association have a collecion of similar video clips, often hilariously funny showing CSA incompetance. Unfortunately the government regularly forces the DBDA to the remove the clips, but they just keep on coming!

The CSA costs to taxpayer £563 million p.a. There are 48.000 complains made against the CSA per annum. The CSA admits to making 13.000 mistakes a year and corrects these before appeal. Of those that are not corrected and are appealed, ending up at Tribunal, the CSA loses a further between 50% and 60%. Who equipped such seeming-incompetents with such draconian powers?