Child Maintenance - What's Your Experience?

The Welfare Reform has now replaced the Child Support Agency (CSA) with the Child Maintenance Service (CMS). Parents are encouraged to make family based arrangements prior to using the new service.  If their assistance is required then parents will have to pay an application fee.  This information has not been widely publicised despite existing CSA cases now being closed down and families have to negotiate the continuation of agreements, many of which may have been in place for some time.  All of this is part of the Welfare Reform and has been given very little press or media coverage compared to “Bedroom Tax” or Sanctions.

With support from Family Nurture Approach, Fife Gingerbread will lead a partnership campaign with Citizens Advice & Rights Fife (CARF), One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) and Poverty Alliance to work together on’ Bairns First’.  Our aim is to create a campaign that avoids a blame culture and highlights the positive impact of ensuring children’s interests remain to the front of parent’s attention and more importantly, their actions.  We aim to encourage both parents to remain responsible and connected to their children and in wider terms start off a conversation that shifts public perceptions.

We would like to hear parent’s views and experience of child maintenance, either of the old CSA scheme or the new Child Maintenance Service.  What issues have you had?  What impact did this have on you or the children?

If you have a few minutes, please complete the following survey to have your say:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/QKZSZNC

All information can be kept strictly confidential or if you would like to be more involved by being interviewed then you have the opportunity to provide us with your contact information and Poverty Alliance will contact you to arrange.

If you would like any further information about the campaign or CARF’s social policy work in general please contact Audrey Cunningham, Financial Inclusion Co-ordinator on 01592 760585 or acunningham@carfonline.org.uk