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Child Support Agency (CSA) Arrangements Are Ending

By Karen McGinn, 10 years ago

Are you aware that all child maintenance arrangements made previously by the Child Support Agency (CSA) will be ending between now and 2017?

No, well read on…

If the CSA handles your maintenance, you’ll get a letter telling you when your maintenance agreement will end and how and when to make new child maintenance arrangements.

The letter will be sent between now and 2017 and you should expect 6 months notice. Any arrears will also have to be paid even after any agreement ends.

So what next?

Well according to GOV.UK you can either make new arrangements yourself or you’ll have to use the new Child Maintenance Service. Notably, to even apply for this new service there’s a £20 application fee. The only way you won’t have to pay this is, is if you’re under 19 years of age, living in Northern Ireland or a victim of domestic violence.

What do you think about this? Will financial issues be sorted between separated parents or is that more fantasy then reality on the part of the government? Do you think the £20 fee to apply will put single parents off?

We'd love to hear your views!

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Comments

jakesmummyswales
I haven't had a penny for years and I struggle but my ex doesn't pay tax and I don't have an address for him so you keep telling me nobody can help me ,my son is 16 now
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kelliecunningham
Think this is disgusting as I know my ex won't give me what I'm entitled too unless it's taken straight out of his wages . I had this problem when we first split that's why I went csa. So he had no choice in paying me. And now the csa are telling me I have to see him over payment before they take money directly out of his wages again but this time they want to charge me and him for this service. which I won't receive the whole amount
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Amcg25
I think it's an absolute disgrace to charge women £20 to get what there rightfully entitled too! If the father dosent want to no the baby or mother it's only fair the mother gets the acceptable amount of money maintenance to ensure the best possible upbringing for the child/children! After all it took two to make the baby and if the father walked away, then he should have to pay for his cowardly acts ! After all it's not the child's fault the father disowned him/her before they were even born. If this law is stopped fathers can refuse to pay the mother n child anything ! Unfair rights!
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Angry1980
Awful awful decision I'm still chasing Csa payments 9 years later I struggle and now I'm to pay to get you to chase him to no avail
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singlemum10
i think this is a ridiculous idea by the government. as if it wasnt hard enough for some single parents to get fathers to pay up and what little we do get we will now have to pay a £20 fee makes you wonder whos side they are on!!!!
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Snoozy
My "darling" ex didnt use me as a punch bag, however, he played with my head and even in court didnt want to pay the csa money, wanted to know why he couldnt put it in a trust fund for the kids! He even argued over a blooming carriage clock in court and the kids' bank books and christening gifts saying they should stay with him! FFS! I will have no chance of getting any money from him unless I pay the new CSA and I think its unfair that we are having to pay to get the money that they should be paying anyway for their own children! So many men and women will get away without paying towards their children because the person who the children reside with wont be able to afford to pay the CSA - well done Tory government - you rob the poor once again!
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Landylass21
What an absolute joke?! Single parents won't be able to afford this especially if the absent parent is on the dole and paying just £5 per week!!! This Government gets worse n worse.
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YODA1975
This is ridiculous...it is going to cause so many problems for separated/divorced parents. A lot of children are going to suffer too from absent parents not paying maintenance!
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t7nyt
This is so wrong. Me and there dad split up. He says he don't work.. but he dose cash in hand.. I have 2 kids with him. He has 2 kids be with 2 differ the mums And his new girlfriend is now pregnant. But he don't pay a penny for any of them...
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bexhur
If we have to pay £20 to ensure maintenance is paid regularly does that mean it will go straight into our accounts rather than the new CSA holding onto it for 7 plus days?????!!!!
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Helene17
What about if you receive maintaince through a deduction of earnings, it took me over 7 years to finally get payments from my ex for our daughter, absolutely shocking why can't they just leave things alone.
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Vicci23
I think this is ridiculous .. I don't have any contact with my daughters father and it's taken years to finally get money off him for her up keep. And still only get a stupid 5 pound a week. Even when he has his own business. So looks like I probably won't be getting any help with her up bringing anymore when this happens as he's a very sly person as it is. Very disappointed in hearing this!
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Mumwithoutnomaintenance
Why would You do that? My child is 15 almost 16 and I have never had child support regularly at all! I'm owed thousands and the CSA have been rubbish at obtaining it but at least it's something ! People like me have no chance of getting what they are owed
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Gwish
I think the £20 fee should be issued to the non paying parent ... Why should the ones left with children have to foot this bill to claim from an absent parent
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19T74
Disgusting!!! As if single parents don't find things hard enough financially already. The absent parent should have this fee added onto the maintenance payments they are required to pay.
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Missbob
This is ridiculous. My ex won't pay a penny when the csa ends. Thanks again for such a **** ruling
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Hebs
So parents with care will pay out twice for their child to enable them to get any child support? I hope the new system has better powers to get absent parents to comply with their legal responsibility AND USE THEM!!!!
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lollol1985
I am a single mother myself but thankfully my daughters father was more than happy to arrange maintenance without the CSA. However there are many others out there who fight to get their child's 'other parent' to help pay towards the child's upkeep as they can not do this alone. I feel it is unfair for low income families or non working families that struggle to make ends meet as it is, having to pay £20 just to get the ball rolling!! I say transfer all the current maintenance files they have free or charge from the CSA to the new 'Child Maintenance Service'. This just seems to be another way for someone to make money out of others misery. The government should be ashamed of themselves... YET AGAIN!!!
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fretwelb
I think its out of orders dads get what they want they get the access when they want it and they dont have to pay for theoe child while the mothers are working all hours just to put a roof over their childs heads
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coaches1960
Come on how many parents stay amicable after a split to even say hello let alone sort out child maintenance costs & payments. I find it Terrible that the government is once again taking advantage of a situation to make more money...... to send abroad!!! It'll be the tax payer that is once again out of pocket as the difference of what a parent currently receiving maintenance for a child will lose no doubt we will pick up the short fall!
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