Vikki Slade, the Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, is campaigning alongside cross-party MPs to highlight what she describes as a “broken” and “opaque” system.
More than 5,000 people across the UK have raised concerns with Ms Slade about the CMS, prompting her to write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions outlining seven key recommendations for change.
Vikki Slade held a roundtable in Wimborne with parents affected by the CMS. (Image: Vikki Slade)
Ms Slade said: “Every young person deserves to be supported through their childhood.
“Whether it is parents hiding income or starting a businesses to reduce their taxable income or withholding access to a child if maintenance payments are not made, it is not acceptable for them to exploit loopholes to avoid providing care for their children.
“The system was designed to help those who could not afford to access the court system but it is now broken and needs total reform.”
Ms Slade shared examples from affected families, including one parent whose ex-partner was required to pay just one penny a month in support, and another where a father continued making payments for a child who no longer lived with the mother due to a social services intervention.
Ms Slade also held a roundtable in Wimborne with parents affected by the CMS and has pledged to continue advocating for fundamental changes.
She said: “I will continue to call for a full consultation with parents who struggle to deal with the opaque bureaucracy of the CMS, and for legislation that recognises how modern employment works so that we can leave a real legacy for the next generation of children.”