Father to lose flat after CSA demands £18k for upkeep of son, 16, he
never knew he had
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 7:27 PM on 23rd February 2009
A civil servant faces losing his home after the Child Support Agency
demanded £18,000 in backdated maintenance for a son he never knew he
had.
Paul Bourrows claims he lost contact with the boy's mother, a former
colleague with whom he had a two-month relationship in 1992, after he
moved to Guernsey.
Mr Bourrows said the CSA initially asked him to come up with £66,000 in
backdated payments for the 16-year-old, with the sum later reduced by a
court to £18,800.
The 38-year-old, who was brought up in foster care, has now pledged to
pay the full amount so his son does not go without. But the £511 monthly
payments will leave him just £70 a week to live on.
Mr Bourrows, from Nottingham, said: 'If I knew I was a dad, there would
be no arrears and I would have been able to see him.
'If I get repossessed I am totally finished. I will lose my job.'
A spokeswoman for the CSA said she could not discuss individual cases
but confirmed the agency was dealing with Mr Bourrows.
She added: 'The CSA can only trace a non-resident parent using the most
recent information we hold.
'We make every effort to track down non-resident parents in order to
ensure child maintenance arrangements are in place to benefit their
children.
'The agency takes the recovery of outstanding maintenance extremely
seriously. When making any decisions on debt recovery, however, we will
always consider the welfare of any child involved, the needs of the non-
resident parent and any second family, and any representations of
hardship from the non-resident parent.'
Http://www.dailymai
demands-18k-
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Posts
