SHORTCOMINGS OF THE CHILD MAINTENANCE SERVICE

That this House recognises the shortcomings of the Child Maintenance Service, which are impacting on parents with care, non-resident parents and children; notes the increase of maintenance arrears to £973 million in March 2019, which stems from a culture of inaction on enforcement; further notes that children living in single parent families are almost twice as likely to live in poverty as children in two-parent families; opposes the 4 per cent maintenance tax on parents with care, who are liable even if they are the victim of domestic abuse or if their ex-partner has a proven record of non-payment; further recognises the low standard of customer service experienced by all parents, including the lack of consistency, different advice being provided by different caseworkers and the lack of detailed written communication; and calls on the Government to conduct a root-and-branch review of the Child Maintenance Service that tackles those issues to ensure that the system supports children's welfare.