3,500 local children risk losing cash

NEW figures show that up to 3,490 children in Oldham could lose vital child maintenance if plans to charge parents for using the future Child Support Agency go ahead.

Charities Gingerbread and Barnardo’s made the warning after the statistics showed the CSA is continuing to improve, retrieving £3,973,000 for children in separated families in Oldham over the last year.

The Government says its reforms will mean all parents with CSA cases will be offered help to make their own arrangements and, if they are unable to do so, they will be able to apply to a new, simpler and more efficient child maintenance service.

But the charities say that if faced with the proposed fees — up to £100 and an extra charge if payment is collected and enforced — many of Oldham’s 5,240 separated parents using the agency could be left without support.

They fear they will be unable to afford the charges and lose hope of getting their former partner to pay up voluntarily.

For children, that could mean doing without basics as their parents struggle against austerity cuts.

Gingerbread Chief executive Fiona Weir said: “The Government says it wants to help separated families but CSA charges would rip money away from families who can’t manage without it.

“The Government must drop the charging plan to give all children a fair chance of decent support from both parents after separation.

“The average child maintenance amount is now £22.50 a week through the CSA.

“That is significant money for thousands of single-parent families in Oldham whose budgets are battered by austerity cuts.”

Neera Sharma, Barnardo’s assistant director of policy and research, said: “The Government’s proposed charges are unjust and risk taking money away from those children who need it most.

“Small amounts of money make a big difference to families living below the breadline.

“Barnardo’s is calling for the Government to abandon its proposals to charge upfront and ongoing fees to families living on low incomes.”

To help single parents get the child maintenance they need, Gingerbread has produced four free child support factsheets.

They are available at www.gingerbread.org.uk or from Gingerbread’s free Single Parent Helpline on 0808 802 0925.

The House of Lords will debate the Government’s child maintenance plans when the Welfare Reform Bill has its second reading on September 13.

Gingerbread is urging Peers to press for the proposed future CSA charges to be dropped.