Children ‘in poverty’ due to child maintenance failures, charity says

Children are being “left to languish in poverty” due to failures from the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), a charity claims.

One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) has called for a root and branch review of the CMS to ensure children’s legal right to receive financial support from both of their parents is upheld.

They say that the CMS is failing to ensure the right is upheld following a report published by OPFS on Tuesday asking single parents claiming child maintenance about their experience of the system.

The report found eight in 10 parents were dissatisfied or highly dissatisfied with the speed and quality of the service. A further 83% of parents felt the level of maintenance they received was inadequate to meet their children’s needs.

Statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that one in five separated parents make use of the CMS and 60% of new applicants are victims of domestic abuse.

The charity is calling for the abolition of charges for parents receiving maintenance; an improved service for survivors of domestic abuse; stronger enforcements to ensure payments are made and better case management for parents.

One single mother who took part in the research said: “I was having to choose which of my children could return to school as I couldn’t afford the uniform. I am now down to four meals a week for myself so I can feed my children.

“I am in huge debt for utilities, council tax bailiffs are a constant worry as I have no means of paying them.”

Chief executive of One Parent Families Scotland Satwat Rehman said: “Our consultation findings underline what we are continually told by single parents through our local services and national helpline – parents are facing huge delays in hearing back, poor customer service, and ultimately a failure to collect the payments.

“At a time when the cost of living is rising to impossible levels, with many families forced to choose between food and fuel, addressing these issues is more important than ever. No child should have to go without because one parent is choosing not to provide them with financial support when they are able to.”

The UK Government has pledged to make improvements to the Child Maintenance Service after a report from the National Audit Office highlighted major flaws in the system.

New powers for the CMS will expand the list of companies and organisations required to provide information to help trace the paying parent, calculate maintenance and enforce arrears more effectively, the Department for Work and Pensions has said.

Mr Rehman added: “Parents – mostly mothers – who make claims through the Child Maintenance Service do so because making informal arrangements with their ex-partner would not be possible. Often, this is because coercive control has been involved.

“Despite this, the CMS displays a systemic failure to appreciate these circumstances, for example by arranging face-to-face meetings with ex-partners.

“Parents report that they’re passed to new caseworkers each time they get in touch, meaning they have to explain their situation all over again and are often met with a lack of empathy.”

Another mother who took part in the research said: “I tried to claim (Child Maintenance) and received a few erratic payments. It had to be collected through earnings arrestment. Every time the dad moved job, payments stopped and wouldn’t re-start for months.

“CMS said they couldn’t find him and they were not allowed to search for him. He accrued lots of arrears. When the system changed over I was told I should write him a letter that would be passed onto him. I couldn’t, so I didn’t make a new claim.”

Another parent added: “I’ve had to wait more than a year for a response on more than one occasion (despite chasing) which is completely unacceptable. Upon phoning, any random person becomes your case worker and as my case is complex this is soul-destroying.

“I’ve had complaints closed down without my agreement. Calculations performed incorrectly. The actual running total has had technical issues twice, so I don’t know how much is owed etc and it’s taken months to sort out. If you don’t chase nothing is actioned. The portal can be like a black hole.”

Survivors of domestic abuse have their fees waived, but they need to share the trauma they have faced with a stranger so many do not come forward. Other parents claiming through Collect and Pay are charged 4% – meaning they must pay the Government to ensure their child’s other parent pays what they owe.

The National Audit Office found that fewer than half of paying parents with Collect and Pay arrangements had paid more than 90% of payments due in September last year.

One parent commented on this set-up: “Although I am on Collect and Pay, the paying ‘parent’ is still getting away with non-payment and nothing is being done about payment of the arrears.

“Then they have the audacity to charge me 4% even though none of this is the child’s fault and it’s the child who is being deprived of what she is owed.”

The new report by OPFS says this needs to change as part of a thorough review to ensure children are not disadvantaged.