Motion calling for reform to fix Child Maintenance Service loophole passed by Milton Keynes City Council
A motion calling for reform to fix a loophole to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) system has been passed by Milton Keynes City Council.
During a full council meeting, the Liberal Democrat Group brought forward a motion calling on the Government to review how payments for child maintenance are calculated, in a scenario when a paying parent moves in with a new partner who has children to form a family relationship.
Under the system’s current rules, payments to a parent with full-time care of their children can be significantly reduced in such a situation.
Currently there are around 9,000 single parent families in Milton Keynes with one in three children growing up in poverty.
The motion, which was passed unanimously, argued that the system penalised children from the original relationship who with less support were worse off.
A survey of 102 women locally found that 40 per cent felt that the CMS system was not fit for purpose.
Elora, a mum of two from the Milton Keynes area shared her experiences during the council meeting.
“When I turned to CMS after my ex stopped supporting our children, I was told the amount he owed could be reduced because he’d moved in with a new partner who had kids,” she said.
“They told me to speak to him directly, even after I explained there’s a restraining order in place.
“I was devastated because my children who we both brought into the world shouldn’t depend on his new relationship.
“In my experience, the system punishes women for leaving abusive relationships.
“It keeps giving ways of our abusers to control us, even from a distance, through money and through loopholes like this.”
Following the passing of the motion, the chief executive of the city council will now write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions calling for a review of the current payment rules.
Council leader Pete Marland is also set to write to the city’s three MPs calling on them to raise the issue in Parliament.
Lib Dem councillor for Milton Keynes Kerrie Bradburn added: “We believe all children should be treated fairly and that includes children from previous relationships.
“We’re asking our local MPs to stand up for families in Milton Keynes and ensure this loophole is finally closed.”