Government reform on Child Maintenance

[wallop79]

The government is penalising single parents who have no choice but to use the Child Support Agency as the non resident parent refuses to pay, so under the new reform you will be charged £100 to use the system (£50.00 if on benefits) and then if you have to use their money collection service the non resident parent will pay between 15% & 20% and the parent with care between 7% & 12% how is this at all fair if a non resident parent refuses to pay why should I have to pay a collection fee, as a point the govenment is trying to extinguish child poverty but this is just adding to it. My maintenance should be £140.00 per wk, (but receive nothing) under the new rulings potentially 32% of this would be given to the government as a collection fee, this is money for my child not the sodding government, within two years everyone on CSA will be moved over to the new system, there are a lot of unanswered questions I have, and am sure a lot of others will if you read the green paper, my sons father is a millionaire who has lied to the CSA about how much he earns, but under the new scheme they will use data from HMRC about their "income" does this include bank accounts, investments, offshore accounts, pensions etc, or just the pack of lies that will be submitted to HMRC which you can do when you own your own company and have a good accountant. All us single parents need to do one thing before 7th April, read the green paper and write/email to the strengthening families consultation or better still LOBBY OUR MP GRAHAM JONES & DEMAND ANSWERS Type CM7990 into google (strengthening families, promoting financial responsibility) www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm79/7990/7990.asp

[Neil]

I have been paying child support for 16 years for 2 children, 1 now since my eldest is almost 19.
I will ask you a question -

Why should it cost anyone except me and my ex wife because our marriage did not work?

[wallop79]

under this new reform they want people to come to an amicable agreement, which is good if you can, but if your in a position like myself that was left with no choice but to use the CSA why should I be penalised, surely penalise in my case the father of the child he is the one refusing to pay, he has had warning letters time after time about non payment, why not charge him for this? But I have worked for the last 22 years & paid a lot in taxes already, but under this new system I will be paying twice, once still in my taxes & two by paying them to collect money.

[lancsdave]

Like any other system in this country the law is too soft on those who don't stick to it and penalises the victim

[wallop79]

exactly LancsDave my case has been ongoing since March 2010 Ive had a grand total of £220 off my sons "father" in 13 months of his life, he owes my son now £6,000 in unpaid maintenance, and the CSA cannot do owt at the moment as he is appealing the maintenance amount, and no doubt he will appeal against the tribunals decision, then appeal to the house of lords, then tell the CSA about a change in his circumstances and it all starts again, and still my son receives no maintenance, but under the new reform it doesnt say what action they will take against someone for not paying, under current CSA law they can deduct money direct from your bank account, put a charging order on your house, take your driving licence off you, make you get assets back you have sold or given away, even imprisonment, I hope they can do this and more, especially as I will be paying them to use the service in the first place!

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by wallop79

I hope they can do this and more,

I wouldn't hold your breath, they will do nowt.

I get £11 per week, the same amount I have had since 2002

[wallop79]

I take it you have CSA involvment Lancsdave, if so read the green paper it will throw up a lot of questions for you I think

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by wallop79

I take it you have CSA involvment Lancsdave, if so read the green paper it will throw up a lot of questions for you I think

Unfortunatley not, I gave it up as a waste of my time.

[g jones]

I'll take it up. I don't like the Child Support Agency as it causes distress all round. Some men living in poverty, women left the victim of uncaring fathers.

The new charges look like the government is making savings on the backs of ordinary people. The country isn't in a mess. We have had 5 consecutive quarters of growth and the debts were twice current levels in 1946 and by the 1950's "we had never had it so good".

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by g jones

I'll take it up. I don't like the Child Support Agency as it causes distress all round. Some men living in poverty, women left the victim of uncaring fathers.

The new charges look like the government is making savings on the backs of ordinary people. The country isn't in a mess. We have had 5 consecutive quarters of growth and the debts were twice current levels in 1946 and by the 1950's "we had never had it so good".

Come on Graham in 1946 we had just come out of one of the most costliest wars every and comparing that era to the financial fiasco which this country found itself in last May, is well, quite laughable, or it would be if it wasn't so serious, but of course that's always been Labours approach "crisis, what crisis"

[Bernard Dawson]

Graham's right National Debt was much higher after the war. Yet the Labour Government created the Welfare State The Health Service and a embarked on a massive programme of house building.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Bernard Dawson

Graham's right National Debt was much higher after the war. Yet the Labour Government created the Welfare State The Health Service and a embarked on a massive programme of house building.

Head Ostrich and Sand seem to be the order of the day me thinks

[Stanleymad]

I was appauled when heard and it will make child poverty worse, make absent parents more absent and penalise resident parent and child. The CSA were and are still useless victims of severe domestic violence are excempt from claiming they won't touch the violent x as they could not guarentee confidentiality details and safety so would put them at considerable risk of harm to claim anything so they won't peruse a claim and the courts failed too so there's a good preportion of separated parents losing out and get nothing. This new proposal will make matters worse another example of politicians not living in the real world !! All parents should be responsible for their kids and all absent or non residential parents should pay not just those that want to or have a conscious to.

[derekgas]

My partners ex is supposed to pay something silly like £5 per week (maybe fortnight), in 8 years he has paid maybe £20, every time they pursue him he says he is not working, but then when he went to court for access (which was for his stepmother rather than him, because she has them at weekend and he hardly sees them), he told the court that he had been in regular, steady employment for at least 2 years?? His foster parents in fairness have paid for the last 2 sets of school uniform, but as far as I am aware, he has paid nothing.

[Stanleymad]

That's pure example of what is wrong with the system is that it's played with no deterrent or responsibilty and tax payers are still footing the bill one way or another