CMD not actually doing anything?!

[OneHardyMintZebra]

I separated from my husband over a year ago and applied for child maintenance as he wouldn’t pay me anything towards our 2 DC. He works full time and I was on maternity leave still when I left so it was a struggle especially when I went down to statutory pay (I left because he was abusive).
He hasn’t paid anything since May so I applied to change to the collect and pay service but that hasn’t made a difference. CMS say they can only pay me when he pays them money, and all they do each month is ‘demand payment’. Well that clearly isn’t working! And I just get a letter each month saying he’s missed a payment.
So it is actually just a pointless service then?! I thought they’d be able to do more tbh.
It’s only an extra £200 I’d have but genuinely that would help so much as he doesn’t even see the children so all costs are on me.

Welcome to the club. Totally normal I'm afraid. I haven't had a payment in 2 years on collect and pay.

So my ex basically doesn’t have to pay me anything?! What a broken system

lots are sadly in the situation

Oh dear! I’m supposed to receive my first payment via collect and pay in March, so I’ll probably end up in the same boat as you!

However, I was under the impression that collect and pay equates to a deduction of earnings order - meaning is supposed to come straight from their salary each month…

It takes forever to get to the point of enforcement. I'm owed about £15k and with multiple liability/DOE orders; it's taken YEARS but the bailiffs are finally recovering something.

So despite a DEO order, they won’t take the money directly from their salary?

They are utterly useless
My ex apparently earns less than £7 per week. Despite his business being all over FB and him never being available to see DC as he's "working"

I thought it would come out of his wages also. So frustrating when he’s very very comfortable and it’s a struggle for me every month. But thanks for the replies, at least now I know not to expect anything to change

Ask them to escalate to a DEO I think contacting them regularly and asking for updates and what can be done next will help get one more quickly. They have a huge amount of cases so it's keeping yours nearer the top of the pile.

@Purplelady1 he will switch to self employed every time they find an employer.

Wow, so pathetic! I’m hoping they improve the child maintenance system sooner rather than later!