New Support Deduction Order

[cranberry]

Ex and I switched to 50-50 shared custody on September. I now pay support to my ex. I have been attempting to speak with FRO to no avail regarding my account, specifically if it is now active so I can start paying. Does FRO let you know that your account is now active? Do they send forms for direct deposit automatically or do you need to request them. I can see my account online, I just don't know if its active.

Thanks!

[rockscan]

Best time to call is first thing in the morning. They tend to answer then.

Normally they send you documentation that your account is active and what you owe. You may want to check with your employer too in case they made a mistake and are having your employer send the money.

[cranberry]

Perfect; thank you very much!

[Abba435]

Ex and I switched to 50-50 shared custody on September. I now pay support to my ex. I have been attempting to speak with FRO to no avail regarding my account, specifically if it is now active so I can start paying. Does FRO let you know that your account is now active? Do they send forms for direct deposit automatically or do you need to request them. I can see my account online, I just don't know if its active.

Thanks!

FRO reorganized and you will no longer have a dedicated file contact.
You navigate their very excellent phone directory and get connected to basically a help desk where the worker has never seen your file.
You then walk them through your file for half an hour or more while they argue with you and put you on hold a few times.
If they get frustrated enough they will pass you off to someone else where you will get to leave another voice mail that will not be returned for a week if ever. So you will call back and repeat the navigation.
There is almost no chance of speaking to anyone with any authority.
They refuse to use email so buy a FAX machine, you will need it.
I finally got someone with experience and knowhow to intervene but it too many calls, letters, voice mails etc.
They ruled 100% in my favour but it took months, my crystal clear documentation and a lot of persuasion for them to finally look at the court registered agreement and use that properly as their reference.
They accept whatever the recipient submits without questioning it.
Government is not equipped any more to deal with any complexity, change or service especially if you are the payor, but even the recipients are not being served. The Ford cuts have impacted this office severely. Morale is very low and the staff and management are overwhelmed, undertrained and many have left for lower pressure jobs.

[Kinso]

The Ford cuts have impacted this office severely. Morale is very low and the staff and management are overwhelmed, undertrained and many have left for lower pressure jobs.

FRO is as bad as it has always been. It was terrible under McGuinty, under Wynne and under Ford.

[cranberry]

I finally managed to speak with a human being at FRO. She could only see our current account, where I am the support recipient. I asked her in as many ways as I could if she could see an account where I am the support payor; she could not.

Do you think its safe to assume that the new account is not active yet? I am going insane with this! And of course the ex is claiming he "has spoken with our case manager numerous times, that the new account is indeed active, FRO is disgusted with me, and that if I don't start paying he will take serious action!"

I take that with a grain of salt but it would be nice to know the damn thing is active so that I can start paying! We still don't have an actual court order yet either.

[Abba435]

I finally managed to speak with a human being at FRO. She could only see our current account, where I am the support recipient. I asked her in as many ways as I could if she could see an account where I am the support payor; she could not.

Do you think its safe to assume that the new account is not active yet? I am going insane with this! And of course the ex is claiming he "has spoken with our case manager numerous times, that the new account is indeed active, FRO is disgusted with me, and that if I don't start paying he will take serious action!"

I take that with a grain of salt but it would be nice to know the damn thing is active so that I can start paying! We still don't have an actual court order yet either.

You MUST insist that they put it in writing.
They refuse to use email so you have to use FAX only.
Scream until you get a manager on the line, and do not get off until they tell you their name and direct line (or email address) and agree absolutely to look into it and respond.
I had a 6 month runaround with them and they stopped paying my ex even when I was sending payments. Insanity.
FRO is beyond understaffed and their systems are complete garbage.

[Gilligan]

Sadly, after about a year of back and forth and no action, I had to get my MP involved. It finally got resolved because of that, but seriously... it should take the involvement from your MP to get action.

In my case, I would whole-heatedly recommend going this route. Nothing will be done if you leave it to the call center workers.