This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Petition End 'other children a paying parent supports' deductions to Child Maintenance.
The CMS purports to exist to assist separated parents. Why then does it take financial support away from the child(ren) that are in need of it? Parentage is assumed if the 'paying parent' meets certain criteria - surely, then, these criteria should be applied when considering these deductions?
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Family Law - namely the Children Act 1989 - stipulates that the Court's paramount consideration shall lie with the welfare of the child. Is financial support not directly linked to the child's welfare? Any single parent can tell you that even Child Maintenance payments often do not come close to providing the standard of life that you hope for your child. Clothes, shoes, books/toys, school trips, uniforms, school donations, holidays - the list of financial demands as a single parent are endless!
This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months
Related activity
Share your experiences of the Child Maintenance Service
On Thursday 24 June, Lord Farmer will lead a debate on Child Maintenance Service reform in the House of Lords.
To inform the debate, Lord Farmer wants to hear about your experiences of the Child Maintenance Service. He may quote your contribution directly during his debate, so please don’t share anything you wouldn’t want to be made public.
Find out more and share your experiences with Lord Farmer here: https://houseofcommons.shorthandstories.com/child-maintenance-service-/index.html
Videos of the debate, which is known as a Question for Short Debate (QSD), the transcript and other relevant material will be accessible shortly after the debate on this webpage.
The deadline for contributions is 12noon on Wednesday 23 June.
Please note: this debate is separate from any work the Petitions Committee may do on this petition. For more information on how petitions work, visit: https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/sign-a-petition/e-petitions/
What is a Question for Short Debate?
Four short debates ('Questions for Short Debate') take place on Thursday every five weeks in Grand Committee of the House of Lords, away from the main Chamber. These debates are an opportunity for members of the House of Lords to discuss important current issues and draw the Government’s attention to concerns. A Government Minister or spokesperson responds at the end to the issues raised in the debate.