Media Releases

Below is a list of the Media Releases issued by the Commission.

• Typical CSA cases can cost around £25,000 – difficult ones £40,000 or more.

  31 January 2012

  The Government body responsible for child maintenance has revealed the scale of the cost of administering some Child Support Agency (CSA) cases. A typical case requiring a variety of actions to ensure the payment of maintenance can cost up to around £25,000 over 18 years.

• Latest CSA performance statistics released

  25 January 2012

  In the last quarter ending December 2011, 78.0% of all cases in which maintenance was due had either received maintenance via the CSA collection service, or had a maintenance direct arrangement in place.

• Parents happier with family-based arrangements, says major survey

  5 January 2012

  New research shows separated parents who work out their own child maintenance arrangements are more satisfied with their set-up than those using the Child Support Agency (CSA).

• Minister proposes end to child maintenance exemptions in future statutory scheme.

  20 December 2011

  Work and Pensions Minister Maria Miller promised a new child maintenance system that was "fairer for children" today, as she answered questions on the exemption from maintenance liability for some part-time public servants.

• Maria Miller targets CSA debt mountain

  19 December 2011

  A consultation is launched today on plans to deal with some of the £3.8 billion in unpaid child maintenance.

• Fairer and faster, better for families and the taxpayer

  01 December 2011

  Proposals for new child maintenance scheme unveiled today include boost for poorest single parents

• More children benefiting from more child maintenance as Child Support Agency performance holds steady

  16 November 2011

  The latest Child Support Agency figures show that just over 876,000 children were benefiting from child maintenance payments

• Child Support Agency seizes record payment from father’s bank account

  04 November 2011

  Minister emphasises the willingness to take enforcement action against non-payers

• How health professionals can help get more money to children

  07 October 2011

  Health professionals in England are being given advice today so that they confidently step in to help separated parents with money worries.

• Life gets tougher for parents who fail to support children

  27 July 2011

  The Child Support Agency collected or arranged a total of £1,159.6m in the 12 months to the end of June.

• Publication of Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission Research Report No.3: Evaluation of the Child Maintenance Options service

  15 July 2011

  The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has today published findings from a quantitative research report based on an evaluation of the Child Maintenance Options telephone service.

• Quarterly Summary of Statistics January - March 2011.

  27 April 2011

  Stable performance provide solid platform for change.

• Publication of Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission review of Deduction Orders.

  22 March 2011

  The review focuses on the first year of operation of this collection tool (from 3 August 2009 to 31 July 2010), which allows the Commission to deduct money directly from the bank or building society accounts of parents with child maintenance arrears.

• Appointment of new Child Maintenance Commissioner.

  15 March 2011

  The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC) has announced that Noel Shanahan has been appointed as Commissioner and Chief Executive to replace Stephen Geraghty.

• Publication of Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission Research Report No.1: Promotion of Child Maintenance: Research on Instigating Behaviour Change

  07 March 2011

  The report examines the child maintenance behaviours of separated parents with no child maintenance arrangements and identifies the key drivers of these behaviours.

• More parents offered child maintenance help.

  01 March 2011

  Thousands of newly-separated parents are to be offered free information and support on arranging child maintenance from today thanks to a new initiative.

• Enforcement effort helps keep child maintenance flowing.

  09 February 2011

  Statistics from the Child Support Agency (CSA) show the overall performance gains achieved since 2006 continue to be sustained.

• Miller: Child Maintenance reforms will put children first

  13 January 2011

  A radical reform of child maintenance which places family responsibility and the welfare of children at its heart is published for consultation by Work and Pensions Minister Maria Miller today.

• Record maintenance payments and more children benefiting as Child Support Agency progress continues

  27 October 2010

  The performance of the Child Support Agency (CSA) has continued its steady improvement with the latest figures setting new records both for total maintenance payments and the number of children benefiting from them.

• New powers to stop parents dodging maintenance arrears.

  12 July 2010

  The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has begun using tough new powers to halt or reverse the sale and transfer of assets by parents attempting to dodge financial responsibility for their children.

• Grandparents as influential as professional advisers on separation issues

  29 March 2010

  New guide helps them to make sure their grandchildren are provided for.

• More than 800,000 children benefit from payment of child maintenance

  27 January 2010

  Latest quarterly figures show continuing progress.

• Deidre Sanders launches campaign to promote Child Maintenance Options

  18 January 2010

  Top agony aunt backs support service for separating parents.

• Children missing out on maintenance as separated parents don't know where to turn

  14 January 2010

  Now a free and impartial service offers information and support for both parents.

• Welfare Reform Act means tougher powers for Commission

  16 November 2009

  Tougher enforcement powers to deal with parents who fail to take financial responsibility for their children are on the way following Royal Assent of the new Welfare Reform Act.

• Child Support Agency progress marks first year under Commission.

  28 October 2009

  More children are benefiting from child maintenance, with more parents paying this quarter than in any previous quarter.

• More children than ever benefiting from child maintenance.

  29 July 2009

  Almost 794,000 children are benefiting as the Child Support Agency collected or arranged £1,136 million in child maintenance across Great Britain over the past twelve months.

  National Statistics released today show between July 2008 and June 2009, the CSA also continued to recover unpaid maintenance for children, with £157m in arrears collected in Great Britain in the last year.

• Child maintenance is biggest separation headache, say region's parents – but most are going without expert help.

  7 July 2009

  Now a free and impartial service offers information and support for both parents.

  A lack of knowledge about how to sort out child maintenance issues could be adding to the heartache of separation and divorce and unnecessarily jeopardising children's financial future.

• Child Support Agency marks three years of progress.

  29 April 2009

  Strong performance numbers complete the CSA's Operational Improvement Plan as clients praise caseworkers for professional service.

  The Child Support Agency has collected or arranged more than £100 million in maintenance in a single month for the first time in its history.

• Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission selects new IT system for future maintenance scheme.

  07 April 2009

  The new state child maintenance scheme that will replace the two schemes currently provided by the Child Support Agency has taken an important step forward.

  Suppliers have been appointed to provide the computer system that will underpin the 'future' scheme now being developed by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.

• Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission brings three hundred new jobs to Leeds HQ

  06 March 2009

  The new public body responsible for child maintenance in Great Britain is to be based in Leeds.

  Around three hundred new jobs will be created at the city centre headquarters of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.

• Child Maintenance collections still increasing

  28 January 2009

  The first quarterly performance statistics since last October's child maintenance rule changes show the Child Support Agency (CSA) is continuing to deliver more money to parents with care.

  During 2008, the CSA collected or arranged a total of £1,112 million - an increase of £137 million from the total for 2007 and up from £798 million in the year to March 2005.

• Child Maintenance: Choice for all parents starts today

  27 October 2008

  More money for low income single parents as compulsion to use CSA ends.

  Significant changes to Britain's child maintenance system come into effect from today. They extend choice to more parents and deliver more money to low income families.