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Frequently Asked Questions

Complaining about our service


Q. What should parents do if they are not happy about the service provided by the Child Support Agency (CSA)?

A. In the first instance they should contact the people dealing with their case, either by phone or in writing. They can find our contact details on our letters. They can also e-mail their complaint to us by using the online complaints forms.

If the people dealing with the case cannot settle the complaint they will send it to the CSA's Complaints Resolution Team.

If a parent is not happy with the response from the Complaints Resolution Team they can ask for their complaint to be considered by the Complaints Review Team.


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Q. Can parents complain about how child maintenance has been worked out, or the ways they are being asked to pay?

A. If either parent has information, which they think would affect the amount of their child maintenance, they can ask us at any time to look at the decision again. It is not possible to appeal against administrative decisions about collecting and enforcing child maintenance payments.


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Q. How many complaints have there been about the CSA in the last year?

A. We are committed to treating all our clients fairly and offering them a service that meets their needs.

In the 2006/2007 financial year we received 48,000 complaints. This is an improvement of 13% on the previous year, when we received 55,000 complaints.

Everyone who applies for us to work out child maintenance is sent a copy of our Client Charter, which contains a set of minimum standards that we aim to meet when dealing with their case.

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Q. Will parents get compensation if the CSA has made a mistake?

A. If we have caused very long delays, made a serious mistake or given incorrect information, we may be able to pay compensation to make up for any losses.

But, there is no legal right to a compensation payment. When we have to decide if compensation should be paid we use a set of rules that HM Treasury has agreed with the National Audit Office.

More information about compensation is in the guide Financial Redress for Maladministration, available in the publications section of the Department for Work and Pensions website.

We might also make a small payment, called a consolatory payment, if our action or lack of action caused:

  • serious inconvenience as a result of repeated mistakes, or
  • severe embarrassment or humiliation.

We will also consider any evidence that someone's health has suffered as a result.

We will make separate decisions on whether we will pay compensation or a consolatory payment, based on the facts of each case. In some cases, we may pay both.

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Q. How many people received compensation?

A. In the 2006/07 financial year the CSA paid around £3.5m (£3,317,000) in compensation. This related to 13,500 individual cases.

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Q. If someone is not happy about the way their complaint is being handled what can they do?

A. If, after receiving a response from the Complaints Review Team, a parent still feels that we have not dealt with their complaint properly, they can write to the Independent Case Examiner.

The Independent Case Examiner gives an independent view on complaints from people who aren't happy with how we have handled their case. Their service is free and they are not part of the CSA.

Before the Independent Case Examiner will accept a case, they must be satisfied that we have had the opportunity to deal with the complaint and that it has been through each stage of our complaints process. They will look into the complaint as long they are contacted within six months of our Complaints Review Team's final reply.


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