The government is proposing to start charging parents to use the powers of the Child Support Agency. Initial enquiries will still be dealt with free of charge, but if the resident parent cannot then agree matters with the other parent, they will be charged £100 to involve the CSA in assessing and collecting maintenance. If they are on benefits, the charge will be reduced to £50. In cases where there has been domestic violence, the charge will be waived.

Apparently this is to encourage parents to resolve matters between themselves rather than relying on the CSA.  I can’t quote statistics, but my professional experience tells me that the majority of couples who separate or divorce do their best to resolve the issue of child maintenance between them.  Most succeed.  Those that turn to the CSA generally do so because there is no other option: they need financial support for their children and the other parent isn’t playing ball.

To expect the parent who is seeking financial support to have to pay for the privilege seems at best short –sighted, and at worst, ludicrous!  To my mind it demonstrates that the government itself has misunderstood how and why the CSA tends to be used – as a last resort when there really is no other choice.

Helen Waite
Associate
Family Team

helen.waite@asb-law.com