- 4 updates
Families to be notified of new charges for child maintenance
Letters will sent out today warning separated parents unable to agree on child maintenance payments they will be charged if the Government is forced to intervene, the Department for Work and Pensions said.
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Child Maintenance Mum: 'We're told to go it alone'
Sweeping changes to the way separated couples financially support their children have isolated single parents and made them feel like they are "going it alone", a 32-year-old mum has told Good Morning Britain.
Ayse Inal, who has a four-year-old son and a difficult relationship with his father, said she was "really angry, because the money that is supposed to be coming to my son, they [Child Maintenance Service] are actually going to be taking a portion of that money."
Govt: '4p in the pound' for child maintenance service
Parents who have split up will have to pay the Government "4p in the pound" if they need to use the new Child Maintenance Service (CMS) because they cannot be civil enough to come to informal arrangement themselves, the minister for pensions said.
Steve Webb assured Good Morning Britain the new system was "much more effective" than the previous Child Support Agency.
"If the Dad for example, gets a pay rise, we automatically go to tax records, update the figures so maintenance will go up every year there is a pay rise. That will help parents with children."
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Govt to charge '£50-300 finding fee' to locate ex
The new Child Maintenance Service (CMS) will start charging a "£50-£300 finding fee" to locate an ex-partner who has fallen behind on child support payments, it has emerged.
The Department for Work and Pensions is introducing sweeping reforms to the previously free CSA, including turning it into the CMS.
Other charges include:
- A £50 charge if the CMS has to arrange a deduction from an employer.
- A further £50 if they have to take a late child support payment out of a bank account.
- Taking a former partner to court will now cost £300.
First 52k families 'warned of charges for child support'
The Government is writing to 52,000 parents to begin closing their Child Support Agency (CSA) arrangements and inform them of potential charges if they cannot come to an informal compromise.
A new agency called Child Maintenance Service will replace the CSA and will collect money on behalf of parents who fail to come to an informal agreement.
However, the Government will now start charging families for this service.
Parents have the option of a family based arrangement - which will cost nothing - or face a £20 charge if they use direct pay.
However, if one parent refuses to pay and the Child Maintenance Service intervenes then both adults will be charged.