MPs must ensure Child Maintenance Bill improves children’s lives and helps end child poverty

Commenting on today’s Second Reading of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, Child Poverty Action Group’s Chief Executive, Kate Green, said:

“The Bill provides an important opportunity to improve the lives of children and families. MPs must focus on making sure that ending child poverty is a clear objective of the new legislation and that enforcement plans in the Bill are effective at getting money to children.

“We welcome the Government’s intention to increase benefit disregards so that parents reliant on benefits can keep more maintenance paid to them. If there was a full disregard for the poorest parents, it would lift 85,000 children out of poverty.

“An essential condition for voluntary arrangements to succeed will be access to specialist independent advice, particularly so that resident parents are not pressured into settling for less. But the capacity to provide this advice does not yet exist. Before the Bill completes its progress through parliament, there must be a clear plan for how the necessary advice can be provided and funded.”

Notes to Editors

• CPAG is a member of the Campaign to End Child Poverty

For further information please contact:
Tim Nichols
CPAG Press Officer
Tel. 020 7812 5216 or 07816 909302
tnichols@cpag.org.uk