The Department’s ability to collect child maintenance is limited by the affordability of payments and the system risks creating a poverty trap for some Paying Parents. More than two-thirds of Paying Parents on Collect & Pay and over a quarter of those on Direct Pay say the payments are not affordable. Low income Paying Parents (those that do not earn enough to pay income tax) make up 46% of Paying Parents and 62% of those with unpaid arrears. The rate at which these arrears can be recovered f...

The Department’s ability to collect child maintenance is limited by the affordability of payments and the system risks creating a poverty trap for some Paying Parents. More than two-thirds of Paying Parents on Collect & Pay and over a quarter of those on Direct Pay say the payments are not affordable. Low income Paying Parents (those that do not earn enough to pay income tax) make up 46% of Paying Parents and 62% of those with unpaid arrears. The rate at which these arrears can be recovered from those with the lowest incomes is limited, particularly where the Paying Parent is on benefits and has other debts. The amount Paying Parents pay is b Type: recommendation | Number: 7 | Response status: not_accepted Government response: The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. As referenced in paragraph 6.5 of HMT guidance, Parliamentary scrutiny of public spending, the department cannot set out its plans to review the affordability of liabilities in its response to the Co