Parents pushed to breaking point by Child Maintenance Service, BBC told
Parents are reporting severe financial and emotional distress due to administrative failures within the UK's Child Maintenance Service. The BBC investigation highlights cases where errors and payment delays have forced families to rely on food banks.
Why it matters
The report raises significant questions about the efficacy of government social support systems and their impact on vulnerable families.
Image caption, Katy said the lack of financial support means she has turned to food banks
Parents have told BBC Panorama that the agency tasked with helping to secure financial support for children after separation or divorce is driving them to breaking point.
Mothers described battling with the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to get their ex-partners to pay up, while fathers said they have been caused anxiety and stress by administrative mistakes.
One mother said she turned to food banks after the CMS failed to make her ex-partner pay child maintenance, leaving arrears of almost £10,000. Another said she had been forced to skip meals after her abusive ex-partner stopped paying.
We have also spoken to a father who said years of disagreements with the CMS have pushed him to the brink, including after it added an extra child to his account who was not his.
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