CSA and self-employment

Sorry if this has been raised before, but I''m new on this section of the forum. My ex is self-employed and has been assessed as only earning £5000 p.a. and thus having to pay the basic rate of maintenance £5 per week. He has our two children stay one night per week. He has paid 2 payments last year and then absolutely nothing since then apart from one haircut and £25 after Xmas towards clothes I bought in the sales for the children. I went to collect the children the other day and he showed me his wallet, laughing, a client had just paid him £3000. I know his rent and council tax amount to almost £1000 per month. I spoke to the CSA to chase up his payments and they said it looks like his direct debit has failed (for the last 7 months!) and they will look into it. I mentioned the cash, and why I feel he is earning so much more but they said they can do nothing until he files his next tax return. Any advice or suggestions?? many thanks

Unfortunately the CSA are not equipped to deal with self-employed exes. My sons are too old to qualify now, yet their father still owes £1000''s in unpaid support - we split when the youngest was only 3 years old.

I started on the original scheme and changed to subsequent schemes, all to no avail. He is currently supposed to have negotiated £40 a week. Having just returned from Las Vegas, which obviously illustrates he does earn a decent wage, the CSA, having run a credit check (he will only use cash, no cards), say there is nothing they can do. He has charging orders on his house but thats no use to me or my sons.

I accepted quite early on that financially,I would have to depend on me. It does sadden me though as I thought it was to ''get'' at me, rather than the children, but my youngest is now at uni and has received no help from his father at all.

jaw