Single parents unsure where to turn for support

May 28, 2010

CSA advice could help thousands of families to claim financial support after a recent survey revealed many households are confused by the protocol concerning maintenance payments following separation.

The poll questioning more than 900 single parents with dependant children revealed that nine in ten of those surveyed believe both parents have financial responsibility for their youngsters, whether or not they live with them full-time.

However, a third of people were confused about where to go for independent CSA advice.

Of those parents who were unsure how to seek maintenance, 27 percent were not aware that a private arrangement can be made between both parties through the courts, or a statutory service without involving the Child Support Agency.

Despite a lack of knowledge on the subject, more than half of people questioned believed that some form of confidential service would have benefited them during the separation of their partnership – even though 31 percent did not want to involve the Child Support Agency. Many revealed their main source of advice was a friend or family member, whilst a quarter claimed they did not talk to anybody at all about child maintenance issues.

A new service has recently been launched to give parents more impartial CSA advice following family separation. The Child Maintenance Options support programme offers free public information on the best maintenance solutions for individual circumstances of single parent families. It directs adults to tools such as a maintenance calculator, which allows them to work out the amount they should pay in child support.

Comments

  • chall says:

    Parents should be aware that Child Maintenance Options is a service provided by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC), which is the new Child Support Agency (CSA).

    ~ ALL parents are welcome at afairercsaforall.co.uk
    If parents can not find answers to their questions on the main web pages, they are more than welcome to join the other 1930+ members in our forum which is completely free of charge, donation OR voluntary contribution.

  • Karen Bedford says:

    I find these organisations are not helpful unless both parents have separated and both agreed on support for the children, obviously when wouldnt need the CSA involved!! So they are a mockery when they are really avoiding the real problems!

    Please join our facebook groups Child Support Agency Failings and others, you will see there are many of us on there with similar problems and we try and help one another with what we have done, etc.

    You might find it useful as many have.

    There is no catch it was set up by Lisa and Im an administrator because of the problems we have had and wanted to voice our concerns and see how others how coped. We are ordinary people who understand it as we are in it!!

    Good Luck

  • chall says:

    Hi Karen,

    Which ‘organisations’ are you referring to?

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