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Why Won't Parents Pay?

(6th May | 11:25)

Official figures just released confirm that in the 12 months to March this year, child maintenance payments collected or arranged by the Child Support Agency topped £1 billion.

The report shows that 749,300 children in the UK benefit from these payments, an increase from last year's figure of 683,300. About 67% of those liable to pay are doing so but there are still millions of pounds of arrears which remain uncollected from absent parents.

The CSA collected £1.01 billion in the year to March, up from £898 million in the year to March 2007. However, of the amount collected about £126 million was arrears of maintenance.

Whilst the new figures do show improvements both in terms of amounts collected and arrears recovered, it does still remain the case that a significant number of absent parents either pay nothing or are substantially in arrears with payments. The charity One Parent Families has pointed out that new arrears are accruing at the rate of £16 million a month and there is now a total debt of some £4 billion.

The CSA's role will be transferred to a new body called The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission next year but perhaps the relevant issue is not a change of collection body but rather a change in the attitude of absent parents. Whilst there are those who cannot pay, the more important section of absent parents who need to be targeted is those who will not pay.

What is the answer to this? How can the government encourage a change in absent parents' attitudes and responsibilities?

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