Commenting on the release of the Public Accounts Committee review of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC), 4Children Chief Executive Anne Longfield OBE said:
“Thousands of families, many of whom are living in poverty, are missing out on maintenance they are due. Without this financial lifeline, these families will be struggling even more to make ends meet and pay for the basics.
“Doubts need to be tackled about the fairness of introducing charges to those using a system which clearly isn’t working properly – particularly where there is no guarantee that the parent who is the primary carer will receive any maintenance at all. Until the government can guarantee that every parent who applies to the Agency gets the maintenance they deserve, it should tread very carefully.
“However, we are pleased that more support will be made available to separating parents to help them come to their own maintenance arrangements which should include new help through children’s centres and schools. The evidence shows that privately agreed arrangements are more likely to succeed than those arranged through the Agency – and the more parents that can be supported to make private arrangements, the better. It is important, however, that all parents should have recourse to an effective maintenance collection service through the Agency, should the need arise.”
