Child Support Agency moves to seize properties and freeze accounts
10th February 2010 by: David Lillywhite
The much-maligned Child Support Agency (CSA) has begun striking back at parents refusing to pay child maintenance following fresh measures introduced by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC).
CMEC inherited the CSA in 2008 and was immediately tasked with rescuing its poor public image with a view to instilling confidence in its practice and procedures. The latest figures published show that over 800,000 children are currently supported by the CSA and the recent spotlight thrust upon its failings has meant a renewed focus from CMEC in ensuring absent parents comply with their legal obligations.
The Guardian reports that 340 properties have been subject to ‘order for sale’ proceedings under this new initiative. Since an overwhelming 95% of non-resident parents are male, the vast majority of these properties are said to belong to fathers in default of their maintenance payments. In one example, a father decided to pay a debt of £70,000 dating back to the 1990s rather than sell his home. It is thought that the threat of being made homeless will encourage a number of parents to pay their arrears. More than 200 bank accounts have also been frozen in the five months since the campaign began.
In addition to be being able to seize property and freeze or order withdrawals from bank accounts, officials are also able to confiscate the passports of non-resident parents and impose a curfew upon them. Figures for the end of 2009 have shown that compliance with the CSA by non-resident parents has risen to 74% despite the CSA reducing its workforce in Britain in 2006 and outsourcing 80,000 cases to be dealt with by an external company.
Although there are many non-resident parents who regularly meet their obligations, there remains a significant percentage who continue to evade their responsibilities. What these new powers will not do is address the systemic failure of the CSA to carry out its primary function. There remains an enormous backlog of cases, estimated to be around 1.1 million in May 2009, many of which involve arrears that have little chance of being repaid.
While these initiatives are certainly a step in the right direction and demonstrate CMEC’s desire to give the CSA back its teeth, it remains to be seen if this campaign will only make those intent on evading the CSA more determined to do so by employing new methods of subterfuge to escape these fresh measures.
CMEC inherited the CSA in 2008 and was immediately tasked with rescuing its poor public image with a view to instilling confidence in its practice and procedures. The latest figures published show that over 800,000 children are currently supported by the CSA and the recent spotlight thrust upon its failings has meant a renewed focus from CMEC in ensuring absent parents comply with their legal obligations.
The Guardian reports that 340 properties have been subject to ‘order for sale’ proceedings under this new initiative. Since an overwhelming 95% of non-resident parents are male, the vast majority of these properties are said to belong to fathers in default of their maintenance payments. In one example, a father decided to pay a debt of £70,000 dating back to the 1990s rather than sell his home. It is thought that the threat of being made homeless will encourage a number of parents to pay their arrears. More than 200 bank accounts have also been frozen in the five months since the campaign began.
In addition to be being able to seize property and freeze or order withdrawals from bank accounts, officials are also able to confiscate the passports of non-resident parents and impose a curfew upon them. Figures for the end of 2009 have shown that compliance with the CSA by non-resident parents has risen to 74% despite the CSA reducing its workforce in Britain in 2006 and outsourcing 80,000 cases to be dealt with by an external company.
Although there are many non-resident parents who regularly meet their obligations, there remains a significant percentage who continue to evade their responsibilities. What these new powers will not do is address the systemic failure of the CSA to carry out its primary function. There remains an enormous backlog of cases, estimated to be around 1.1 million in May 2009, many of which involve arrears that have little chance of being repaid.
While these initiatives are certainly a step in the right direction and demonstrate CMEC’s desire to give the CSA back its teeth, it remains to be seen if this campaign will only make those intent on evading the CSA more determined to do so by employing new methods of subterfuge to escape these fresh measures.
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