Child maintenance: Swifter sanctions backed for parents failing to pay

The bill has been brought by Stroud MP Siobhan Baillie

Parents failing to pay child maintenance could face quicker sanctions, thanks to a bill aimed at speeding up the process of enforcement.

The Child Support Enforcement Bill would mean the Child Maintenance Service would no longer need to apply to the courts for a liability order.

The bill by Stroud MP Siobhan Baillie looks set to become law and has already been passed by the House of Commons.

Although it is welcomed by campaigners, they believe more change is needed.

Mother-of-three Gemma said in the three-and-a-half years since her children's father left, she has continuously struggled to get the child maintenance she is due.

'What's the point?'

"I knew he would never willingly pay. Everything's always having to wait all the time," she said.

Gemma went to the government's Child Maintenance Service (CMS), but found it slow and lacking enforcement powers.

She said: "I get a measly £180 a month. If you're waiting for that to buy new school shoes and you're told it's going to be 12 weeks before anything's implemented, you do really feel like, what's the point in this service?"

"It's very harrowing. It's a very lonely place to be," she added.

Victoria Benson said the new legislation would give more "teeth" to the Child Maintenance Service

Gingerbread, a charity for single parents which welcomes the changes, said the new legislation would mean the CMS gets more "teeth".

"It's going to increase the powers that the CMS has," said chief executive Victoria Benson.

Under current legislation, the CMS must apply to the courts to obtain a liability order before the use of enforcement orders, an order which according to the government website can take between a few weeks and several months to obtain.

'Point of pride'

Enforcements can include disqualification from driving, disqualification from holding a UK passport, or sending a non-compliant parent to prison.

The new bill will repeal the requirement of the CMS to obtain the order from the court, allowing enforcement measures to be used more quickly against parents who have failed to meet their obligation.

But Ms Benson doubts it will be enough, especially as the CMS sees "ever-increasing arrears", she said.

"It's estimated that by 2030 there'll be £1 billion of arrears," she added.

Drawing on her experience as a lawyer, MP Siobhan Baillie said: "To have shepherded a bill through that I know really will make a difference to families is a real point of pride."

"When I was a lawyer I looked after separating families; I used to do these child maintenance calculations with my clients," she added.

The Child Support (Enforcement) Bill has government and opposition support and should make it into law within months.