Millions owed in child maintenance in York (From York Press)

Millions owed in child maintenance in York

11:00am Thursday 10th May 2012 in News By Mark Stead, Political Reporter

MORE than £6.5 million in child maintenance arrears is owed to parents in York, according a charity.

Figures produced by the Department for Work and Pensions and published by Gingerbread, which provides advice and support for single parents, say the total arrears in child maintenance payments in March this year came to £5.89 million in the York Central constituency and £4.432 million in York Outer.

The amounts owed to parents who are the main carer for their child stood at £3.468 million in York Central and £3.087 million in York Outer. The figure was £3.821 million in Selby and Ainsty, £3.261 million in the Thirsk and Malton constituency and £4.806 million in East Yorkshire.

Gingerbread said the arrears level for parents with main care for children were at least £1 million in every Parliamentary seat in the UK. Its chief executive Fiona Weir said: “It shows the extent of non-payment of child maintenance and raises serious questions about the effectiveness of the Child Support Agency in enforcing parents’ responsibilities.

“At a time of real economic hardship for many families, this money is badly needed and could really make a difference to children’s lives.”

The charity has called for the agency to use tougher enforcement measures, give every parent owed child maintenance a timetable and a list of steps which will be taken to recover it, and to keep them informed of the action which has been carried out every six months.