Wednesday, January 25, 2012

CSA reforms

The latest wheeze from the government is to charge parents when they turn to the Child Support Agency and ask for it to do its job. In its current government (i.e. taxpayer) funded form it's is there to ensure

"that parents who live apart meet their financial responsibilities to their children by calculating and collecting child maintenance payments."
It seems the Conservatives wish to alter that to just calculating payments with collection becoming a paid-for service. If this went ahead how long would it be before the government pointed out that this 'service' already exists within the private sector in the form of debt collection agencies and therefore is unnecessary and should be removed? Have the calculation handed over to magistrates and they'd be no need for the CSA at all.

Sure collection agencies charge for doing the job, but getting a reduced percentage of a payment is better than not getting any payment at all isn't it? I mean what would the parent do with that money they should have had - spend it on the child it's supposed to be benefiting?

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