Changes to the way that Child Support is collected will cause extra hardship.

[Darkesteyes]

It will also cause more problems for people coming out of violent and/or controlling relationships. It will give a controlling ex partner another way to control. Its madness.

www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/oct/20/threat-child-maintenance

Right, the government believe that 95% of users would prefer to make their own arrangements, even though their own figures show that nearly 60% of users either have a difficult relationship with their ex, or don't have any contact at all.

Oh and apparently some parents use the CSA as a weapon and this justifies charging everybody for the use of it. Though if they stand by their claim that 95% of uses want to make their own arrangements, that means only a tiny amount are using the service as a weapon - but hey ho. On the bright side the government stand to make over 800 million from not very well off people. #torybastards

I have never been asked if I'd like to make my own arrangements with my ex. How the feck do they come to the conclusion that 95% want this, yet as someone who actually uses the CSA I have had no survey/questionnaire asking me what I think? My answer is no, I don't want to make my own arrangements with my ex. Been there, done that, was left screwed by him when he decided that he wouldn't pay 'cos he'd fucked up his finances for the upteenth time so the 1st thing to take a hit when that happens is my DD's financial support from her dad.

Fucking tories. Hate them I do.

I've no clue what the government are thinking with this one. Well I do. They are simply assuming that 95% of parents will put their children's needs above their own and sit down to rationally talk about how much is best. Pretty laughable really. Most simply won't be able to or even want to.

Even those parents who do generally get on. Nothing is likely to divide them faster than talking about money. Before you know it, there'll be huge arguments and positions taken on 'principle' about how many pairs of shoes a year little Johnny needs.

The only silver lining (and it's a tenuous one at that) is that if you pay for a service then they really need to be able to deliver. And maybe a large reduction of the number of cases will help them do that.

The CSA is a victim of it's own non-success. So many evade it that it's become farcical. The threat of "I'm going to the CSA" is about as useful as "I'm going to the moon"

In reality what the CSA/CMEC really need to do is crackdown on evaders. Stick a few of them in prison. Crawl up the anal cavities of suspected dodgers with a microscope to look for hidden assets, hound them with debt collectors, cancel their passports so they can't go on swanky holidays. Stop ALL benefits until arrears are paid off. Can't meet rent or buy food? Maybe you should have thought of that before clocking up a few grand in arrears! £5 a week!?!? A joke.

Once they established themselves as a force to be reckoned with and messing them around is a one way ticket to painville, the majority will fall into line. Very few people evade tax because despite popular belief HMRC is actually very good at collecting taxes owed. We need the same for CMEC/CSA.