Say NO to tax on child maintenance

[Jmum85]

The Government is seeking to reform the child maintenance system. Its public consultation ends on 7 April 2011 so we have to make our voices heard before then. Sign and say NO to a tax on child maintenance.

Currently 1.2 million parents use the Child Support Agency (CSA) in order to collect regular child maintenance payments from the non-carer parent. The average maintenance payment is £200.00.

Currently one parent will pay £200.00 to the CSA which will then pay this £200.00 to the other parent to use towards the costs of raising their child(ren).

The Government wants to reform this system. It is proposing to charge the non-carer parent up to 20% (an average of £40.00) to use the child maintenance system and it is further proposing a deduction of up to 12% (an average of £24.00) from the child maintenance payment in order to cover the costs of running the system.

Government?s proposal: one parent will pay £240.00 to the CSA which will then make its deductions and then will pay only £176.00 to the other parent towards the costs of raising their child(ren).

Therefore, under the new system, a carer parent would lose an average of £24.00 each month due to the tax on the child maintenance payment.

Today I set up an online petition to protest against this proposed reform. You can join the protest at
www.ipetitions.com/petition/taxingkids/

If you are personally affected you can read the Government?s consultation paper and respond directly at
www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2011/strengthening-families.shtml

[AGlassHalfEmptyNoLonger]

It's not only that, there is also the upfront charge of £100.

So, take my case. I kicked my ex out after gambling money for the rent and other bills, and subsequently lying about it. He says as I kicked him out, he has no responsibility towards my son. He is currently unemployed, but is at college retraining and will soon be actively seeking work (due to injury he can no longer do the manual work he used to).

So, unemployed = £5 per fortnight contribution.

I have to pay £100 upfront to get them to take on my case (after mediation etc, which he will either:
not attend;
attend and refuse to change his stance;
attend and agree with everything said there, but upon leaving the room revert back to his current stance;
attend and charm the mediator into agreeing I am a total bitch who deserves no maintenance whatsoever)

£5x26=£130 per year, take off the £100 leaves me £30 better off, take off the 12% running fee leaves me £26.40 better off per annum. And yes, it is per annum, because they then charge another £100 the following year for the reassessment.

So tell me, 1)how am I a sponger? 2)what is the point of me chasing for maintenance? 3)what is £26.40 per annum going to provide for our my son? (As far as I am concerned, his dad is little more than an uncle, in fact my brother does more for and with my son than his dad does.)

And for the record, I work 20 hours per week, yes I get a bit of housing and council tax benefit, as well as tax credits. I am also bringing up a son with dyspraxia and ?Asperger (awaiting assessment). I have regular meetings with school, regular home visits with a support worker and have to give my son at least double the day to day support a normal 9 yr old requires (in many ways he functions at the level of children between 5 and 7). If any of the above makes me a sponger then so be it.

[BaroqueAroundTheClock]

yup AGlass - I'd be in the same position - except my £26.40 per year would be for 3 children - so - ooo wait for it a whole £8.80 to support each child for a year -

[AGlassHalfEmptyNoLonger]

It's so much money, isn't it? How on earth can we spend it all? Hey, maybe I could afford to build the personal private indoor heated swimming pool my ds keeps going on about, do you reckon that'd take up all the money???? [sarcastic emoticon]

[BaroqueAroundTheClock]

We'd just have a take away pizza with it

[LegoStuckinMyhoover]

I got an email from gingerbread about this today.

It says that "The Children?s Society, Child Poverty Action Group, Citizen?s Advice, the Mothers Union and Resolution have now all signed up to our campaign and there are more to come".

"We?ve had lots of media interest including an interview with Maria Miller on Woman?s Hour (on BBC iplayer, about 24.5 minutes in), a great article in The Guardian and plenty of local newspaper and radio coverage."

//www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/17/child-support-agency-budget-airline

//www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00z58b4/Womans_Hour_07_03_2011/

Just listened to maria Miller on the radio. Just how ill informed she is and how wrong they have got it.

[Jmum85]

over 800 people have signed the petition!

If you know anyone who has not yet signed please ask them to do it quick!

the Gvnt consultation ends on 7 April 2011 so I may have to hand in the petition as soon as next week!

//www.ipetitions.com/petition/taxingkids

[Jmum85]

Hi

I've got about 980 signatures on the petition against these charges. I plan to hand deliver it to No 10 tomorrow afternoon and I'll email a copy to Maria Miller too. If you haven't yet signed it or if you know a few more people who will want to sign it please do so today!

P.S the Gvnt consultation ends tomorrow so if you have yet to respond to the Green paper visit

www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2011/strengthening-families.shtml

[PurpleDaisies]

Oh ffs. This is five years old truthteller.

Why do you think they still care?