Family Law Manchester News
Latest news relating to family law & divorce in Manchster
Government overturns Lords decision on child maintenance
The House of Commons has voted to overturn the Lords amendment to the Welfare Reform Bill which was intended to prevent single parents being charged for child maintenance services, where they have no alternative but to use the statutory system to get financial support from the other parent for their child.
During the debate DWP Minister Maria Miller announced that the government would set the upfront application fee - payable by parents with care to access the Child Support Agency - at £20 for all applicants.
Gingerbread’s Chief Executive Fiona Weir commented:
“The government has completely missed the point, made so eloquently and forcefully by the Lords, that it is wrong in principle to charge parents who have no other option but to turn to the CSA to get child maintenance.”