- Parliament approves new powers to stop child maintenance
economic abuse
- New law will allow Child Maintenance Service to intervene in
payments
- More financial protection for children in separated families
The new law will allow the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to
intervene on behalf of parents where abuse is evident, using its
powers to collect and make payments.
This set-up, called Collect and Pay, is already used by 37% of
parents using the CMS. It provides extra protections for parents
who have experienced domestic abuse by avoiding the need for
contact and preventing perpetrators from inflicting financial
abuse and control.
Work and Pensions Minister said:
“Domestic abuse and coercive control are abhorrent crimes. This
positive change will enhance our existing support for domestic
abuse victims and ensure they can make a child maintenance claim
without the fear of having to deal with an abusive ex-partner.”
The Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Bill will gain
Royal Assent in the coming weeks after successfully passing both
Houses of Parliament. It will build on the CMS’s existing
procedures to protect both paying and receiving parents who are
vulnerable to domestic abuse, ensuring more children in separated
families are supported. The Private Members’ Bill was taken
through Parliament by and , with support from the
Government.
The change comes following recommendations by a leading expert on
domestic abuse, Dr Samantha Callan, who led an independent review
into the CMS’s support for victims.
Dr Samantha Callan said:
“I am heartened that the Government have so quickly legislated to
strengthen support for parents experiencing domestic abuse
following my Review. This extra layer of protection for both
parents and children was an important one of my recommendations
to build on the CMS’s substantial reform in this area.”
Another government-backed Bill – the Child Support (Enforcement)
Bill – which is soon also to become law, will simplify the court
process of recouping child maintenance arrears, while continuing
to protect paying parents’ appeal rights. This change in this
Bill will make it easier and quicker for the CMS to take
enforcement action and recoup money owed to families.
Together these changes will significantly strengthen the CMS’s
existing support for vulnerable families.
