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Government must deliver on bright shiny vision for child support
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24/07/06 One Parent Families welcomes the commitment in today's Henshaw report to tougher enforcement of child maintenance liabilities and the proposal to enable lone parents on income support to keep a significantly higher proportion of any child maintenance they receive. But, the charity warns, voluntary arrangements will not be appropriate or workable for all lone parents so there must be a well-flagged option of using a state child maintenance service.
There are also questions about when and exactly how the 1.5 million existing CSA cases will benefit from Sir David's proposals. Thousands of lone parents are still waiting for huge arrears they are owed for their children and thousands have long-standing cases which the agency already admits it is unable to pursue further; when, if ever, will these parents benefit from the brand new vision for the future?
Chief Executive of One Parent Families Chris Pond said:
"Child maintenance can make a crucial difference to the lives of children in one-parent families. Yet lone parents have been badly let down by the agency which time and again has failed to get their children the money that is owed to them.
"Tough enforcement action has been the missing piece of the jigsaw - there is a culture of non-compliance out there which must be tackled. We therefore welcome the Government's commitment to put debt collection and enforcement at the centre of the new agency.
"The proposal to allow lone parents on income support to keep a significantly higher proportion of any child maintenance paid to them, rather than the £10 allowed at present, is very welcome. Not only will non- resident parents be more likely to pay up if they know their children will benefit directly from the money; but lone parents have a greater incentive to negotiate realistic arrangements rather than just £10. We argue that lone parents on income support should be able to keep all of any child maintenance paid to them. Most urgent is the plight of some 46,000 lone parents on income support who are stuck on the 'old' pre-1993 CSA scheme. They are actually being paid child maintenance but gain nothing from it because it is deducted pound for pound from their benefit.
"Single parents do need a state maintenance service - but one which works. Today's announcement hopefully marks the beginning of a new future for child maintenance in this country. The big question however, concerns existing cases. How long will current cases, mired in the mess of the current scheme, have to wait for substantive change?"
"By all means encourage more parents to agree child maintenance , but there must be swift action to intervene if maintenance payments are missed, partial, late or irregular. Otherwise children will lose out. And it must be recognised that voluntary arrangements are not always possible or in the lone parents' best interests. Some will need the protection of a state child support service acting as an intermediary and firm hand right from the start of their application.
"Allowing all lone parents, including those on benefit, a choice as to whether or not they use a state-run collection service is the right way forward. There is a better chance of achieving efficiency and cost-effectiveness if the agency and its successor are able to focus on those parents who actively want to use it.
"We hope Sir David's report heralds a better child support service but lone parents will not be finally celebrating until they see positive evidence that children's rights to maintenance have finally been put first."
FURTHER INFORMATION FROM JANE AHRENDS ON 0207 428 5416/ 0788 1951138
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