The government has announced new proposals for reform of the Child Maintenance Service (CMS).

The key proposal is to abolish Direct Pay and reduce the fees for Collect and Pay. The government is also looking at what can be done to help parents set up their own private maintenance arrangements.

At first glance, Gingerbread cautiously welcomes the proposals. We have been placing pressure on the government to make sure maintenance is paid. If all parents use the CMS using a new form of Collect and Pay, the CMS will be in a better position to enforce non-payment. We also welcome the proposals to reduce the fees for using the CMS, an issue we have long campaigned on.

The government has also said it wants to look at how survivors of domestic abuse can be better supported. This is particularly welcome given the high percentage of parents who use the CMS who have experienced domestic abuse.

We have concerns that if not implemented properly, the new system could lead to an increase in single parent familes who do not have a child maintenance arrangement. We are also considering our position on the reduction rather than abolition of Collect and Pay fees.

The consultation will be open for 12 weeks. Sign up to show your support for CMS reform and we’ll send you information on how we can support you to feed in your views. You can also read and respond to the full consultation.

Gingerbread’s Head of Policy and Campaigns Sarah Lambert said:

Lack of enforcement of child maintenance means that over half a billion pounds is owed to children – as a result, many live in poverty and even more go without.

That’s why we have been campaigning alongside single parents for action from Government on improving enforcement. We welcome any reform that has the potential to ensure more children get the money they are entitled to and more quickly. It’s clear too that the government has listened to our concerns on Collect and Pay charges.

However, we have concerns that the reforms risk more families ending up with no arrangements at all. We will work with single-parent families to look carefully at the details of the new proposals to help ensure the effectiveness of the changes.

Taking part in the consultation is a key opportunity to make our voices as single parents heard loud and clear. If you’ve never responded to a government consultation before and aren’t sure where to start or what to say, we’ve produced a handy guide to help you through the process.