Single parents in Ayrshire missing out on millions.

Jul 23 2010 by Lisa Boyle, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

KIDS in Ayrshire have lost out on more than £11 million because non-resident parents refuse to cough up child support.

The maintenance debt mountain is leaving hundreds of single parent families living on the breadline.

Figures revealed by the charity Gingerbread show that lone parents in Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock are owed £6,212,000.

Meanwhile, absent parents in Central Ayrshire have wormed out of paying £5,530,000.

Fiona Weir, Gingerbread chief executive, said: “Child maintenance is vital for children in separated families.

“We know from single parents that this is much-needed money which pays for items such as children’s clothes, school meals, trips and activities and childcare.

“Ultimately the responsibility for paying child maintenance rests with the non-resident parent, but the Child Support Agency has to do its job too in collecting debts and enforcing payment.”

MPs for both constituency’s blasted the figures and hit out at the parents failing their children.

Sandra Osborne said: “The Child Support Agency was setup in the early 90s as the court system was failing families. However, it was a bureaucratic and incomprehensible nightmare. For a system to work it needs to be efficient and fair.

“Too often the CSA seems to pursue easy targets where absent parents are making an effort to cooperate whilst failing to pursue those whose determination to go to any lengths to avoid fulfilling their obligation to the children they have brought in to the world knows no bounds.”

Mrs Osborne added: “I regularly deal with situations where lone parents are left to bring up children on a shoestring whilst their former partner lives a life of riley and tells barefaced lies about their income and assets.”

Brian Donohoe MP also hit out.

He said: “I have numerous Child Support Agency cases on file, it being one of the most complained about agencies since I was first elected 18 years ago.

“The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, who are now in charge of the CSA, need to take a more proactive position.

“I believe more needs to be done to ensure children are being financially supported by non-resident parents."

Single parents can phone Gingerbread’s helpline on 0808 802 0925 and get a top Tips leaflet on how to pursue their child maintenance arrears.