Keep the claim open but never rely on the maintenance. The arrears keep building, should there ever be a change in circumstances (inheritance etc) you can chase the arrears.

Just leave it in the background and don't put any head space towards it then. That's what I do, my arrears just tick up and when he tries playing Disney dad when they reach 18 they will have everything they need to know to make a decision on whether he cared about them when they were younger 🤷🏼‍♀️

Cancelling a claim seems daft, just ignore it but keep it live.

It’s no really “fighting” though, is it?
It’s admin.
So yes, keep your claim open and speak to CMS about it at regular intervals.
The system is a joke. I don’t think CMS arrears should ever be written off.

When csa became no more (about 2012) they wrote off exs arrears. At this point I took to ringing to chase (not had a payment since 2005) for a few years but was told not earning so nothing on system (had 3 more kids, a car, house but no income? Ex also didn't see dc). I stopped ringing for my own health and never heard from them again (never closed the case though). I found the system was not on the rp side ever so ended up just accepting it, dc is now an adult but in the 18 years I got 4 payments a total of £250. It wasn't worth the stress (it's more than admin because there's a story attached to it with emotions) so I made a conscious decision not to chase it again. Its very individual decision but in my mind I made the right choice for dc and me. The money would have been great but not life changing, the stress it was causing was becoming life changing.

I was about to call it a day last year. He got a nil contribution yet again from CMS despite earning £50,000 for a local company that advertises this as their OTE. This was because he went self employed, ie a sub contractor for the same company who he was previously on the books for.

CMS had to be pushed, but I moved to arrears then enforcement (who were the most useless but consider themselves elite) then finally to fraud. They took out a liability order against him for the arrears, but all this means is it is a legally recognised debt. It doesnt mean you will get it!

He went self employed to avoid paying, would not pay for 12 months then made one payment thus sending me back to square one. He even transferred his house into his parents name to avoid CMS placing a charging order on it.

I had input with my case worker on the fraud team. He asked what was the least I would settle for arrears wise and he set out to achieve this. He had ten phone calls with the nrp ( my gs's dad) and got nowhere until he told him he was not satisfied with his accountant's books/records and wanted his paperwork from the past few years . Next day he received an email confirming he would pay that day. In return, I wrote everything else off. Best decision I made.

It is outrageous that this is not a priority for the government, after all it was set up to alleviate child poverty and all it does is cause huge stress for the pursuing parent. CMS was sold to everyone as a new organisation who would close the self employed loop hole but it has made it worse and is not fit for purpose.

They shouldn’t be wiping off arrears without your permission.

Keep it open in case he dies. You may be able to use it as a claim on his estate

Have you tried involving your local MP? I got mine involved and it was only then that they seemed to become more proactive, I finally ended up getting it taken from his wages and I got £50 as compensation from the CMS as well, but I think the whole system sucks and we shouldn't have to keep on and on at them like we do.

I wish there was a way to enforce things like making your driving license and passport invalid if your maintenance payments are more than x months behind. Or your ability to receive certain benefits. It'd buck up a few of these losers.

CMS has the ability to go to court to ask to remove driving licenses, but they rarely do as impacts people’s ability to work.

They have way more powers that many people realise. There’s just no political will for them to use them.

Never forget that the people at fault here are not the CMS or the government but the feckless fathers who should want to support their children. In an ideal world we would not need the CMS.

In Australia if they have arrears on child-support every time they put in a tax return the money is deducted from that before the absent parent receives a cent like please do not believe these systems are difficult or expensive if they work really well in other parts of the world.
Stay on their books even as a failed case you are add into the numbers of statistics of people that they’ve left down and therefore you are adding strength to the campaigners who on your behalf are trying to recover your money.

I’m pretty sure that was a case recently I want to say section 1 of the children’s act, you can take him to court it will cost you 225 quid which I appreciate you may or may not have. It’s free if you’re on a really low income . Forces him to pay for his child like a CCJ. Its not getting written off

I leave mine running so my children can see how feckless he is when they're older. I don't expect anything.

That’s one of the reasons people have suggested you get your MP involved.

He “may” be living off a partner, but he may not be.

they won’t chase anything without being pushed. If they’re pushed they actually have to find out what he’s living off.

Its well worth considering, especially if he has current arrears. The MP of a friend of mine recently helpfully reminded CMS that they have the power to just take money out of a bank account (they don’t have to go to court or anything) and she actually got something for the first time in a long time.

I get £9 a month for my twin DC.
All the while Daddy is running around working cash in hand whilst claiming disability benefits (I have no tangible proof).
I keep the claim open, not for the pittance, but just as evidence.

The feckless fuckers are the most at fault.

However, successive governments have also been at fault. CMS has a wide range of powers but there’s zero political will for them to be used.

Back when RP’s on benefits only got to keep £20 a week and the rest went to the Sec of State enforcement was so shit the debt owed was massive. When they decided something had to be done they decided… “let the RP’s keep it all”.

There is absolutely fault on the part of CMS and the government for their absolute collusion in allowing feckless folks to not pay.

Absolutely disagree with this. Whilst there are indisputably many NRP's who delight in playing the myriad loopholes in the system, this doesn't change the fact that the CMS are blatantly not fit for purpose.

Several advisors I've spoken to are purportedly unaware of various legalities which impact on the system they're administering, and that's if you can actually get through to one of them in the first place.

One would assume that this, in turn, is caused by lack of government funding for a "service" which to many lone parents is critical.

Honestly I'd keep the claim open but accept the fact your unlikely to ever see a penny. My mum left her cms claim open until I was 18 years old, she never seen a penny as he kept dodging, moving country, claiming he was jobless etc. The amount he owes will build, I think it was something like 50k my dad was due in payments in the end, and if they can they will take it so you've nothing to lose leaving the claim open.

I applied in 2007, 16 years later got a letter saying they were wiping his debt. Forgot the claim was even open. Never saw a penny 🤷🏻‍♀️