Record Number of Children Benefiting from CSA
Despite receiving severe and repeated criticism in the past it has recently been reported that the CSA have collected or arranged a total of £1,159.6 million from June 2010 to June 2011.
The Courts have imposed suspended prison sentences on more than 1,000 parents who refused to pay child maintenance during 2010 to 2011. A further 165 parents received suspended driving bans. More than £2.0 million has been forcibly deducted from bank accounts of non paying parents. 950 parents have been told that they are at risk of losing their homes if they do not pay child maintenance.
As a result of the above a record of 868,700 children are now benefiting from CSA payments.
However, the government is about to completely overhaul the child maintenance system. Under the new system parents will be given the option of whether to make their own family based arrangements or to use the new child maintenance service for which there will be a charge. In cases where people have suffered domestic violence their case will be fast tracked directly onto the statutory service and no payment will be required to enter the system.
This represents the biggest overhaul of the system since it was first set up in 1993. There is concern that the government’s new plans will make it hard for many to get child maintenance. This is in spite of the Prime Minister himself having recognised the need to support single parents dealing with “runaway” ex-partners.
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