Changes to child maintenance system: looking for Mumsnetters' responses to a government consultation

[RowanMumsnet]

The government is considering some fairly major changes to the child maintenance regime (where money for child maintenance is exchanged between parents who have separated), and is asking for the public to give its views on the proposals.

If you're a separated parent who currently uses statutory agencies (such as the CSA/Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission) to arrange financial matters with your ex-partner, these changes could have a significant impact on you - so now's your chance to have your say.

Proposed changes include:

1. A strong emphasis on getting separated parents to make independent arrangements (or 'family-based arrangements') without using statutory agencies. Parents will be strongly encouraged to make their own arranegements, with the help of non-governmental organisations such as Relate, mediation services and so on.
2. For cases in which parents can't come to an independent agreement, there will be a new statutory agency (the Child Maintenance Service) to replace the CSA.
3. Fees will be charged to parents who use the Collection Service aspect of the Child Maintenance Service (ie, in cases where the non-resident parent fails to pay voluntarily and promptly). The non-resident parent will be charged an extra 20% on top of the sum of child maintenance s/he is paying; the parent with care will be charged an extra 7%. The government says: 'We are actively seeking views on the detail of how charging and case closure should operate in practice, and strongly encourage interested parties to submit their views on this. However, we are not consulting on the principle of charging itself as this has already been consulted on extensively.'
4. Fees will not be payable by victims of domestic violence, or by parents who are under 18.
5. Cases that are currently handled by the CSA will gradually be transferred to the new regime.

Further details on these and other changes are available in the consultation document, and further details on how to respond to the consultation are given on this page.

The consultation closes on October 26 2012.

Do please let the government know what you think, either by responding directly to the consultation or by posting on this thread.

Thanks,
MNHQ

Minerva, I'm pretty sure that because the new system won't allow PWC to refuse the Direct Pay option at the start of the process, your DP wouldn't have the money collected by the CSA and therefore wouldn't have to pay the 20%.

C&P from my earlier post, which is my understanding of the new system from the information in the consultation document:

Parents will have to access some sort of gateway system which will advise them about making a private arrangement, offer details about mediation etc. Once they have gone through this they give the parent a unique code to then go through to the next stage.

One parent then applies to the CSA, for a one off £20 charge (obviously this will mostly be the PWC). The CSA will access the NRP's income for the previous year via HMRC records, make an assessment of how much maintenance is due and create a schedule of payments for the next year which will be sent to both parents. They will reassess this every year for no additional charge.

The NRP then pays the PWC directly, either by a method decided between them or, if preferred, the CSA will direct them to (or possibly provide, it wasn't clear) a go-between service - something like Paypal I should imagine - meaning that they don't have each other's bank details.

If the NRP pays on schedule, the CSA's involvement stops there, save for reassessments.

If the NRP doesn't pay, the PWC would contact the CSA who would (supposedly) move to having the NRP pay the CSA and the CSA pay the PWC. At this point, collection charges of 20% to the NRP and 7% to the PWC will be levied. So if the maintenance should be £100, the NRP will pay £120 and the PWC will receive £93.

If the NRP then starts to pay regularly, s/he can request to go back to direct pay. If the CSA consider that s/he will continue to make payments via direct pay they will ask the PWC. The 7% charge is meant to be a deterrent to the PWC saying no at this point.

If s/he still doesn't pay, the CSA will move to DOE, court action etc, and the NRP will be given a fixed rate charge for those (£50 for DOE for example).

I'm a PWC no contact with exP, money is deducted every month on a DEO. It has been intermittent in the past but been ok for last year-ish. I'm with the clerical team in Bolton, as the CSA screwed up the computer case file two systems ago. I started in Hastings, then was transferred to Wales, then Scotland, now Bolton (last 6 years). My CSA experience has been miserable.

Had a phone call 3 weeks ago from the CSA he introduced himself as my caseworker. He was looking at my file, would be completely responsible for it and would call me back in exactly a week to let me know what was going on. No arrears outstanding etc.

This is because I am a clerical case and they are first in trying to sort out.

He didn't call me back, I have called numerous times and he is not on shift, not turned phone on or is unavailable. He has also sent a new DEO to exP's employer, but only he can see it, other staff have tried.

I didn't receive a payment this month (would happen when its back to school and just before DS's birthday). There appears to be nothing in place for next month.

If this is the beginning of the 'new regime' then it isn't very encouraging.

Thanks optimistic. That sounds ok.

I hope it works, really I do.

I only went through with the CSA because my Exp decided to stop paying as in his words " I don't get to see her much so why should I pay?". I don't see our child as pay per view but that's what his approach is. I put in the claim 2 and a half years ago and have had several problems with them ever since. I only use the CSA to help ensure that my dd gets whats she's entitled to from her dad. I know that if we attempted to arrange things privately that there is no come back if he decided to stop, I would have to then revert back to using the CSA. Every penny that my dd receives is precious, considering that there are cut backs everywhere i.e Tax Credits this is another tax on the people that really need it. I have the potential to lose £30 a month to pay for a system that is flawed. The government are doing this to save money they don't care that they are causing more hardship.

i suffered about 30 incidents of dv before i told anyone. the only reason someone knew was because I called an ambulance. (not the police)

as a child who grew up with a lot less money than peers, it is bloody miserable not to be able to have even the hope of getting the same must have toy, or getting lent clothes to go to guide camp because you can't afford the right colour new clothes. money may not equal happiness but lack of sufficient money =misery for children.

bookmarking.

The plans are disgraceful but I have been battling it from the start. I use the CSA as my XP is abusive, trying to negotiate with him would be akin to dealing with Mike Tyson on a bad day.

We'll be down £30 odd quid a month. Have already started cutting back on food as it's the only bit of flexibility I have these days.

XP may well kick off when they raise his payment every month, so that'll be me getting the police out again after 3 years of silence.

I am very very scared and furious.