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Petitions and activism

Open debate to improve the Child Support Agency/ Child Maintence Service

4 replies

CSAdebate · 01/01/2013 01:59

Child maintenance is an essential form of support for many families. It is well documented that the current system of making arrangements in the UK is ineffective, complicated and confusing.

It is time not only for an overhaul of the current system but for a national debate to improve the working practices and laws supporting the Child Maintenance Service in the UK for the future.

We are asking the government to halt current proposals whilst research is conducted in the form of an open debate seeking contributions from:

charities and non profits
resident parents
non resident parents
grandparents and guardians
csa staff/magistrates and baliffs
family law legal experts
and most importantly children

We believe the results would see a positive shift in child maintenance arrangements and a reduction in costs to the public purse. This wealth of information would form a solid document that can then be used to create a maintenace service that works for everyone.

CSA Debate would welcome input and feedback from parents using the mumsnet network and also invite you to sign the online petition: epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43733

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ElectricSheep · 01/01/2013 02:13

I think the old system of court orders worked better than CSA tbh.

The potential for massive lapses in time before the CSA chase up a non-paying parent needs addressing.

A system that automatically flagged as a priority cases where 3 months payments were missed would help.

A minimum figure per child for an employed/self-employed parent to pay would avoid non-res parents cooking their books to present themselves as poverty-stricken.

As a resident parent I spend a great deal more than 15% of my income supporting my child - why shouldn't the n-r parent?

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CSAdebate · 01/01/2013 02:19

Thank you for your thoughts. Great points made.

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RebeccaTheHallsMumsnet · 01/01/2013 12:52

Hi there,

We have moved this to our Petitions noticeboard now.

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CSAdebate · 02/01/2013 01:11

Thank you - I hadn't seen the petitions section.

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