Survey of Child Maintenance Options outcomes

The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has published findings from a 2010 survey of 2,009 separated parents using the Child Maintenance Options telephone service. The survey’s primary aim was to determine the number of children benefiting from a family-based child maintenance arrangement, following contact with the Child Maintenance Options telephone service, between July 2008 and the end of March 2010.

Key findings from the 2010 survey include:

• The survey explored the prevalence of child maintenance arrangements (both family-based and statutory arrangements) and the nature of those arrangements: 25% of parents who had used the Child Maintenance Options service between July 2008 and January 2010 had an arrangement which included regular financial payments only; 16% had an arrangement based on ad-hoc support only; 23% had both regular financial payments and ad-hoc support; and 37% did not have an arrangement.
• Those with regular financial payments were asked how the arrangement was established: 48% had an arrangement set up via the CSA; 48% had a family-based arrangement; and 4% had an arrangement set up via the courts.
• Of those with an arrangement (family-based or statutory), almost half were established after contact with Child Maintenance Options (48%) and 42% were established before contact with Child Maintenance Options. The remaining 10% were unsure at what point the arrangement had been set up.
• Overall, 14% of relevant children (equivalent to around 60,000 children) were benefiting from a compliant family-based arrangement that was set up after telephone contact with Child Maintenance Options at the end of March 2010. This figure excludes other types of effective arrangements established following contact with the CM Options telephone service.