The government has released its child poverty strategy, setting out plans to “deliver the largest reduction in child poverty since records began”.

Sam Smethers, CEO of Surviving Economic Abuse, said: 

“We welcome the Government’s commitment, within its child poverty strategy, to reform the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) and tackle the way domestic abusers drive children into poverty by weaponising it. Ensuring children receive the support they’re entitled to is a vital step that could lift 20,000 children out of poverty. 

“But to truly protect survivors and their children, the Government must go further. It should fast-track the promised legislation, scrap fees for parents accessing the Collect and Pay service and close the loopholes that let abusers hide income or dodge penalties and enforcement action. We also need a safe, survivor-led transition when cases move from Direct Pay to Collect and Pay, backed by specialist economic abuse training for all staff and the resources to support survivors and pursue non-compliant parents. The Government will only achieve its mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade and address a key driver of child poverty when it shuts down every opportunity for abusers to misuse the CMS.” 

ENDS

For further information or to arrange an interview with a SEA spokesperson, please contact the Surviving Economic Abuse press office on: [email protected] / 07786 073249