My ex-wife and I had an arrangement which we were more than happy with. The CSA insisted that it went through them as my ex wasn't working and was claiming benefits
Because of "the rules", I had to pay so much per child etc, then on top of that, for every pound I earned over a certain figure, they would also take "x" pence per pound on top of what the figure was. As stated, they took ?660 at source (they didn't even have to go through the courts for an order), and my ex and kids were then given a payment of ?240 per month
It came very close to me packing in work and getting the government to keep me, but personal pride and love of the job stopped me doing it. It also put an enormous strain on my relationship at that time, it meant that I no longer had money to provide "treats" for the kids, my ex was also in a similar position, the only "winners" were the government, certainly not my kids
I have a pile of correspondence 8" high in the loft reminding me of the struggle, and three years later I managed to get ?3,072 back of them
As I said... bastards