New figures obtained by Gingerbread, the single parent charity, show the scale of child maintenance debt across the country – yet the Child Support Agency (CSA) has no target for 2010-11 for the collection of child maintenance arrears.   Grimsby, Milton Keynes and Blackpool top the list of highest debtors.

Commenting on the figures, which show how much child maintenance is owed in every parliamentary constituency in the UK, Fiona Weir Chief Executive of Gingerbread, said:

“The scale of child maintenance owed to children is truly shocking, when  so many single parent families struggle financially.  In every parliamentary constituency (Northern Ireland excepted), at least £1 million of child maintenance is owed.  This rises  to over £10 million in the top six constituencies.  This is much-needed money which would be helping pay for items such as children’s clothes, school meals, trips and activities and childcare.

“Ultimately the responsibility for paying child maintenance rests with the non-resident parent, but the Child Support Agency has to do its job too in collecting debts and enforcing payment.  The  Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (which is in charge of the CSA) has not set a debt recovery target for the current year, and failed to meet its own target last year.  We are calling for a debt recovery target to be set as a matter of urgency.”

In order to help single parents caring for children to take action to ensure their arrears are paid, Gingerbread has produced a ‘Top Tips’ leaflet on how to pursue child maintenance arrears, and is urging single parents to call its free Single Parent Helpline on 0808 802 0925 for help and advice.

Note to editors:

Information placed in the House of Commons Library on 12 July 2010 in response to a question by Natascha Engel MP shows the amount of child maintenance arrears owed in each parliamentary constituency. 

Nationally, £3,761 million was owed in child maintenance arrears as of March 2010, of which around £1,065 million has been judged to be collectable.  The table placed in the Library shows the amount owed by non-resident parents at the same date based on the parliamentary constituency where they live. 

The top six constituencies owing the most amount of child maintenance debt are:

The table is based on cases administered by the Child Support Agency’s computer system (rounded up to the nearest £1,000), but does not include cases managed off the computer.  (Therefore the figures will not sum to the overall debt total at March 2010) which stood at £3,761 million).

Last year the Child Support Agency missed its debt collection target, collecting £147 million of arrears against a target of £170 million.  This figure was lower than the amount collected in the previous year which reached £158 million.

Gingerbread is the charity which works nationally and locally, for and with single parent families, to improve their lives. We achieve change by championing their voices and needs and providing support services.
 
The charity runs a Single Parent Helpline and advice service on 0808 802 0925 (free to mobile networks) and publishes a range of free publications on every aspect of one parent family life, including benefits and tax, child maintenance, housing and employment.   Gingerbread also runs a membership scheme and several return-to-work projects for single parents, working with private, public and other voluntary sector organisations to deliver these.