To think men that don't pay child support should be arrested?

[HappyLoneParentDay]

Ok I'm not wanting a massive row. Just often thought (after yet another fruitless call to CMS and being told for the 137th time that after 3 years & yet another 'job-hopping' instance that I "have to give him a chance to pay") that despite the CMS being able to take them to Court etc, they very rarely do. Even multiple CMS supervisors have told me on a number of occasions that it's very, very rare that they actually take someone to Court.

Yet in the US, non payment of child support after 6 months, is a criminal offence. Resulting in an arrest warrant being issued.

AIBU to think there's no reason we can't do this?

FYI: He now pays child support on time every month and has done for a while. It is just something I've never been able to understand...

Other than getting pleasure out of seeing him go to prison. How would this benefit your child?

Well given the whole point is that the father is likely to pay when not doing so would lead to prosecution and imprisonment, of course it would benefit the child.

I dint know why they don’t send some kind of bailiffs round and seize their stuff. Once all the stuff is gone, just put them in prison. Or tag them? I’d be delighted to pay extra tax for this purpose and I don’t even have an ex. The whole of society wouid be a better place instantly.

Prison costs taxpayers. Plus how can they work and support a chid if they are in prison?

I do think there should be harsh penalties though for both resident and non resident parents who fail to financially support a child themselves and not via state help . Plenty of both that don't.

Without court action they can - take money from their earnings and take money (either one off or regular) direct from bank, building society or post office account.

They can apply to court for -

Send in bailiffs to seize goods to sell and cover debt.
Put a charge on their property.
Force the sake of the property.
Take away their driving license.
Send them to prison.

The powers are all there, they just don’t use them.

Pa1oma it just isn’t that simple. These men are masters at spreading their ‘stuff’
Cash under mattresses, property abroad, cars parked up all over, dodgy business deals, it’s endless.

If it was tied to the tax system then non-payment becomes a form of tax evasion. Obviously that doesn't fix the men working in the black market and paying neither tax nor child support.

@justajot that’s very very many of them!

totally,totally agree, in the US they can take legal action also is AUS i believe they can have their passports taken away,brilliant.it sickens me how NRPs can pay no child support but go on holiday with a new partner and not be in prison

SinkGirl

Well given the whole point is that the father is likely to pay

So not 100% sure?

So an open prison
Three square meals a day.
Gym.
Exercise yard.
TV
Console games etc.

For a work dodger, sounds like something they could cope with for a couple of months.

Besides this can already be done but isn't being enforced.

The issue isn’t the powers. It’s the will to use them.

Dodging child maintenance is socially and politically acceptable and until that changes CMS won’t.

In years gone by maintenance was counted toward benefits. When my grandparents had to take us in unexpectedly my father was supposed to pay £64 a week. When calculating their income housing benefit and income support classed them as having £64 a week even though CSA collected nothing.

When the system was that people in benefits could only keep £20 and the rest of the maintenance went to the Secretary of State the CSA were so ineffective theSoS was owed millions. So they changed the system.... not to one that was more effective but to one that said people could keep the maintenance that they failed to collect

How about non-payers get a facial tattoo saying "I force taxpayers to pay for my child as I dont want to."

At least it would serve as fair warning to their potential future partners.

and the point of the post is that it should be standard practice for non-payment, not a power they rarely use.

You might get the odd person who’d have no problem going to prison, but that wouldn’t be the majority.

Even when the CMS was the CSA and they had teeth and the will to use it they only went after soft targets.

I bet my life.
If a drivers license was taken from these men.
And they were given the option of paying £500 a month or whatever to use it. They’d find the money .

SinkGirl
and the point of the post is that it should be standard practice for non-payment, not a power they rarely use

even if it were standard practice the CMS would still have to prove that they went through all of the other options before they sent someone to prison.

Otherwise their case would just fall apart.

The problem isn't just NRPs, its that the group tasked with making them pay is useless and doesn't seem to want to do the job that they are paid to do.

I don’t think prison is a good idea.
Especially where children are involved. It’s hugely traumatic for a whole family and carries a social stigma for the child.

Absent/part time parents should have CM payments deducted at payroll level. Those who are "not earning" or "self employed" should be billed by HMRC monthly, with HMRC paying the main parent monthly regardless.

Most definitely yes and none of this crap about paying a token amount as a 'goodwill'. Ex DH of a friend receive a severance package from a high level exec job, took off round the world and paid £1 a week for 2 children as a good will gesture 😡😡 fuckwit

But Bernadette they have to find them first.
Many of them live abroad in houses paid for in cash.

There should definitely be a minimum charge imposed regardless of income, with income then raising the charge.

Those stats the govt produce "raising a child will cost X by the time they are 18" - divide that by 18 x 365 days, daily cost. Apply it to the non resident parent.

Like the guy in Jakadaal’s post.
When he’s sunning his arse on Bali beach he doesn’t give a fuck about letters from
Hmrc. It’s a case of catch me if you can.

rather than go to prison - how about making them do work - for which you get paid!- in the community - something public nasty & demeaning - like cleaning the sewer or a nice dirty smelly river - or cleaning up an elephants enclosure - or cleaning a tiger's enclosure (thinks with a tiger in it) any other suggestions on this idea??/

Rash well then it can just accrue in a spreadsheet somewhere til they come back to the UK.

A child is 50% responsibility of both parents no matter the circumstances

Ish . Conception is certainly 50:50 ( unless rape) but pregnancy and child birth lie %100 with the woman

It’s a grey area whether a drunk one night stand , or a burst or lost condom obliges , especially as the woman has the additional choice of MAP and abortion should this arise

I am not speaking of married men and
Long term partners who shirk their responsibilities .

But there are shades of grey

But yes for willing fathers there needs to be more rigidity and push .

And imagine if they curtail abortion rights
If ever there was an argument for emergency birth control and abortion - it’s this

I’d be happy with it on the condition that the father has to be in the birth certificate so had equal rights. And no I don’t mean having to go to court to get it put on.