Are the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) Destroying Lives?

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) has been a topic of heated debate among parents, policymakers, and social advocates like PAPA.

While its goal is to ensure children receive necessary financial support, the reality is often complex and troubling.

This article explores how the CMS negatively impacts families, leads to fictitious arrears and significant debt, and has tragic consequences, including links to parental suicide.

As a result we must advocate for urgent reform and underscores the benefits of equal parenting without CMS involvement.

If you're an alienated parent and need help with your situation then you should join PAPA today.

At PAPA we have several free to use support spaces, as well as additional resources available to our Plus members, such as courses, PAPA AI, support sessions and 1-2-1 help.

What is the Child Maintenance Service?

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is a UK government agency that aims to facilitate financial support for children whose parents are separated or divorced.

The CMS is designed to ensure that non-residential parents contribute to their children's upbringing, which can help ease some of the financial burdens on custodial parents.

The CMS operates under guidelines that determine how much a non-residential parent should pay based on income and other factors.

However, many parents report negative experiences, indicating flaws in the system that often do not truly reflect their financial realities.

Who Does the CMS Benefit?

A significant criticism of the CMS is its tendency to prioritise the government's interests over those of children or parents.

This system often proves burdensome for both parties involved.

The CMS charges fees for its services.

For instance, a non-residential parent may find themselves paying maintenance, plus fees for the CMS to manage the payment process.

Recent data suggests that these administrative fees can sum up to 12% of the total maintenance payment, creating a financial strain that can lead to cycles of debt.

Additionally, the rigid guidelines used to assess parents can result in unjust calculations.

For example, a parent who has lost a job may face child maintenance obligations based on their former salary, leading to resentment and conflict.

This can harm children, who find themselves caught in the tensions between parents.

Does the CMS Care About Contact?

You would expect that a child having contact with both of their parents would be the main priority however this is seldom the case.

Sadly there are millions of cases where the CMS have actively chased a ‘paying parent’ for money even while that parent is contesting contact in family court.

This has caused many parents to withdraw from court proceedings due to lack of funds, meaning that the children may miss out on valuable time with their parent.

There can be no justification for the CMS chasing a parent for money when a parenting schedule hasn’t been finalised.

It’s important that they maintain neutrality and assume a child is to spend equal time with both parents unless a court order says otherwise.

This is the best way to protect children’s rights and to empower parents.

Payment Miscalculations

A common complain with the CMS is that they miscalculate what a ‘paying parent’ should be paying.

Often they will not take into consideration a parent’s living costs and will calculate based on their gross income, which is not a good barometer for affordability.

Not only that but we’ve seen thousands of reports where the CMS have ordered payments based on an incorrect income.

With very little support in rectifying these mistakes, a lot of parents believe it’s an intentional ploy to take money away from hard working parents.

The Emergence of Fictitious Arrears

One alarming practice within the CMS is the generation of fictitious arrears.

Parents have reported receiving notices for inflated or even completely fabricated payments.

This can stem from administrative errors or miscommunication between the CMS and parents, with some parents believing it is deliberate.

Such unexpected demands can lead to severe financial distress.

According to a survey, over 30% of parents facing alleged arrears reported having to borrow money to meet demands.

This reality forces many into long-term debt, as they struggle to pay inflated amounts and face further penalties.

The psychological impact is profound.

Parents dealing with unjust arrears often experience anxiety, depression, and feelings of hopelessness while trying to support their children and manage mounting financial pressures.

The Alarming Link to Parental Suicide

The mental health implications of CMS involvement are critical and require urgent attention.

Research indicates a disturbing correlation between CMS arrears and elevated suicide rates among non-residential parents.

Statistics reveal that parents required to pay child maintenance have a mortality rate that is 5 times higher than the general public.

Not only that but even more alarming is the fact that parents who are in arrears with the CMS have a mortality rate 14.28 times the national mortality rate.

This troubling trend underscores the urgent need for reform.

The stress caused by unjust financial obligations can lead to overwhelming feelings of despair.

Parents often feel trapped by the system, and unfortunately, some view suicide as a definitive escape from their challenges.

We at PAPA are committed to pushing for reform and a considerable reduction in suicide rates, as illustrated by our successful and ongoing Death Penalty Campaign, which was covered by the BBC and a number of other publications.

Negative Influence from Outside Agencies

An increasingly worrying factor in the malpractice of the CMS is the regular interference and negative influence from outside agencies and bodies such as Gingerbread and Women's Aid.

Both Gingerbread and Women's Aid have received widespread criticism due to their one-sided views and support that can contribute to parental alienation and the abuse of children.

Gingerbread in particular run courses that they call 'CMS money maximisation courses', that are only available to single mothers and that teach them how to gain financially from the other parent, with little to no regard for the children.

This is deeply concerning, not just because they see children as commodities but also because they are using government funding to run courses on how to alienate fathers from their children.

Organisations like Gingerbread need to be educated on the harm of parental alienation, the impact CMS has on paying parents and ultimately the importance of both children in a child's life.

A Call for Reform

Given the severe implications of CMS involvement on family dynamics and mental health, a call for reform and investigation into the agency's practices is critical.

There must be greater accountability in how the CMS calculates payments and determines arrears.

Parents should have the opportunity to appeal decisions, with their cases reviewed by an independent body.

Moreover, the CMS should be liable for any errors that create undue financial burdens.

Reform is not only about improving the CMS; it focuses on protecting families and ensuring that children receive necessary support without causing additional harm to their parents.

Why Equal Parenting is Best for Parents and Children

One effective solution to the issues surrounding the CMS is promoting equal parenting arrangements free from government involvement.

When parents can collaborate on a fair and equitable financial support system, it often leads to better outcomes for all involved.

Equal parenting fosters communication and cooperation, reducing conflict and establishing a more stable environment for children.

When parents can negotiate responsibilities directly, they can create agreements that reflect their actual financial situations.

This approach helps prevent the cycles of debt and despair that many parents currently face due to CMS intervention.

For example, parents who work together on their financial arrangements report a 40% reduction in conflict compared to those relying on CMS.

PAPA has been campaigning for equal parenting for nearly a decade and it remains the best solution for parents and children in most cases.

Examining the Child Maintenance Service's Practices

The Child Maintenance Service was established with the seemingly noble intention of ensuring that children receive essential financial support from both parents.

However, the CMS often creates more challenges than it solves.

From generating fictitious arrears to contributing to mental health crises among paying parents, the negative impacts of the CMS on families are undeniable.

It is time for a serious re-evaluation of the CMS and its practices.

Reform is necessary to protect families and ensure children receive support without causing harm to their parents.

By promoting equal parenting arrangements outside CMS involvement, we can foster a more supportive and nurturing environment for both children and their families.

The need for change is urgent.

Advocating for a system that truly serves the best interests of children and parents alike is essential.

In need of help or support?

If you are an alienated parent reading this article and feel you are in need of help and support then please make sure to join PAPA today by signing up here on our website.

This will give you access to our community support forum as well as our Resource Centre, which includes downloadable guides and on-demand courses to help through the process of being alienated and regaining contact with your children.

We also have our Facebook support group that you can join here.

Our Facebook support group has several dedicated chat rooms where you can get immediate support.

If you are a member of PAPA you can also send us a message here on the website and we will try to get back to you as soon as possible but please bear in mind, we have hundreds of messages weekly so it may take us a while to get back to you.

We are currently prioritising PAPA Plus members due to high demand.

Regardless of circumstance you are not alone and at PAPA we are here to support you.

Become a PAPA Ambassador

If you like our resources, articles and support networks and agree with what we stand for then why not get involved and help us push PAPA further by joining our Ambassador Program?

We would love for you to join us and help spread awareness for parental alienation and all of the dynamics involved so that we can continue to help parents and children towards a better future.

Our Ambassador Program allows you to grow your involvement with the cause by earning points on your membership.

To earn points we have created rewards for actions such as completing one of our courses, booking a case review, or ordering supply.

We will be adding new rewards and actions to our Ambassador Program as we continue to grow our awareness efforts.

We want our members to feel rewarded for their support as we continue to look for new ways to improve the lives of those impacted by parental alienation.

You can also become a PAPA Plus member, which will give you exclusive access to even more help and resources.

Each PAPA Plus membership makes a huge difference to the cause as it really helps us to improve our services and our awareness campaigns.

Proceeds from memberships and supply allow us to push the cause much further towards raising awareness and improving our services and resources so that we can continue to help more and more parents and children.

Thank you for reading and for your continued support of PAPA and our mission to end parental alienation.