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Original poster

Say NO to tax on child maintenance

34 replies

Jmum85 · 18/02/2011 17:12

The Government is seeking to reform the child maintenance system. Its public consultation ends on 7 April 2011 so we have to make our voices heard before then. Sign and say NO to a tax on child maintenance.

Currently 1.2 million parents use the Child Support Agency (CSA) in order to collect regular child maintenance payments from the non-carer parent. The average maintenance payment is £200.00.

Currently one parent will pay £200.00 to the CSA which will then pay this £200.00 to the other parent to use towards the costs of raising their child(ren).

The Government wants to reform this system. It is proposing to charge the non-carer parent up to 20% (an average of £40.00) to use the child maintenance system and it is further proposing a deduction of up to 12% (an average of £24.00) from the child maintenance payment in order to cover the costs of running the system.

Government?s proposal: one parent will pay £240.00 to the CSA which will then make its deductions and then will pay only £176.00 to the other parent towards the costs of raising their child(ren).

Therefore, under the new system, a carer parent would lose an average of £24.00 each month due to the tax on the child maintenance payment.

Today I set up an online petition to protest against this proposed reform. You can join the protest at
www.ipetitions.com/petition/taxingkids/

If you are personally affected you can read the Government?s consultation paper and respond directly at
www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2011/strengthening-families.shtml

OP posts:
BaroqueAroundTheClock · 03/03/2011 09:36

yes - but deciduous - under this new proposal the RP would also have money deducted

"It is proposing to charge the non-carer parent up to 20% (an average of £40.00) to use the child maintenance system and it is further proposing a deduction of up to 12% (an average of £24.00) from the child maintenance payment in order to cover the costs of running the system. "

Deciduousblonde · 03/03/2011 09:31

Very true in some cases, LegoStuckinmyhoover.

In others, RP may go to the CSA because they think they may get more money, or they don't want any direct contact with NRP, or they just want to cause hassle.

There are good and bad NRPs & RPs. The reasoning behind getting the CSA involved are not always cut & dried. I for one would never touch the 'organisation'.

LegoStuckinmyhoover · 03/03/2011 09:23

deciduousblonde, i guess that depends on how honest/reliable the NRP is. if there are no problems, then the RP wouldn't need the csa would they.

Deciduousblonde · 01/03/2011 10:37

However..

What about the NRPs who are already paying maintenance privately? should they be charged more money for a service they neither need nor want, just because the ex decides to use the CSA?

Original poster
Jmum85 · 28/02/2011 22:28

thereiver posted "good it only really affects spongers".

I think you have missed the point.

When two people have a child they are both financially responsible for the care of that child.

In some cases one parent will decide that they don't want to pay anything towards the costs of raising their baby and that is why the other parent will use the CSA to recoup this money.

Who do you think is the sponger??

Under the new proposal the paying parent will be charged and the parent with care will receive less money for their child.

Parents have no choice but to use the system if the non carer parent refuses to pay any money otherwise.

OP posts:
dreamingofsun · 27/02/2011 20:43

forgive me i'm currently slightly biased due to having a soon hopefully to be ex sister in law who continues to refuse to work despite claiming to be very poor. and a brother who slogs his guts out

LegoStuckinmyhoover · 27/02/2011 19:50

dreamingofsun, maybe it has something to do with the fact that only two-fifths of single parents receive maintenance from their child?s other parent, and more often than not, it is a poultry amount and/or an amount that is not set in stone.

Maybe it is because it is because half (50 per cent) of children in single parent families are poor, compared to 25 per cent of children in couple families.

I would think also, it would cost them more to means test it all if it were taken into account.

Also, why should the children not benefit from, or get their maintenance, that was meant for them from their other parent?

Besides which, this petition isn't anything to do with benefits! It is about maintenance for children.

dreamingofsun · 27/02/2011 19:26

i do think that child maintenance payments should be taken into account when working out what benefits you are due. if finances allow then it should be the ex earning parent that pays for a family to be supported - not the tax payer. was surprised to read these aren't taken into account

thereiver · 26/02/2011 01:06

good it only really affects spongers