Some weeks ago The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee launched its own inquiry into the economics of Universal Credit (which must surely include Child Maintenance) and invited written contributions to its investigation. FNF's response is on the Parliamentary website.
Universal Credit's key objective was to provide support whilst ensuring that work would always pay. However, when it was set up it did not take into account statutory Child Maintenance payments which affect millions of separated families. As a result, many parents find they cannot afford Child Maintenance assessments whilst meeting their own costs of living. It also means that for many, extra earnings do not result in improved take-home pay, even less so if their costs of travel to work are included.
Many times in recent years, Families Need Fathers have raised concerns about the affordability of Child Maintenance assessments under Universal Credit with the DWP and Government.
The main reason we decided to respond to the Call for Evidence is:
"Almost half of divorces involve children under sixteen. We do not believe that children whose parents were not married are any more likely to be living together after separation. Our focus is on whether Universal Credit (UC) meets its objectives for separated parents, and this submission seeks to address the questions from this Committee that are most relevant to this group of parents and their children."
- To download our response to the Economic Affairs Committee's Call for evidence, click here.
- Further information on this inquiry and other submissions can be found here.
- To view our latest guidance on Universal Credit and Child Maintenance, click here.
Thank you if your sent your personal experiences to the Committee.
If you are willing to share your story with us so we may use it in our discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions, please send it to admin@fnf.org.uk with 'Child Maintenance' in the subject line.
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