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Post by Libby on Jan 27, 2009 14:56:29 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7852640.stmAbsent parents who do not pay child support could have their passports and driving licences seized without having to be taken to court. The Department for Work and Pensions said the proposals contained in the Welfare Reform Bill would be a "last resort" if other sanctions failed. Latest estimates suggest absent parents owe nearly £4bn in unpaid maintenance. But opponents say the government's plans could lead to breaches of parents' civil rights. The Child Support Agency can confiscate the driving licences of parents who refused to pay for their children, but it had to apply for a court order to do so. Last year, Parliament passed an act giving the body which oversees the CSA and is developing its successor - the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC) - the same power in relation to passports. The new legislation would allow the CMEC to bypass the courts and confiscate absent parents' passports and driving licences until the money is paid in full.
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VikingHumpingWitch
New Member
"My philosophy in life is keep dry and keep away from children. I got it from a matchbox."
Posts: 8,018
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Post by VikingHumpingWitch on Jan 27, 2009 14:58:14 GMT
Maybe they'll start paying up when they can have their nuts confiscated, but I doubt this will make much difference, if it's even ever used.
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Post by Libby on Jan 27, 2009 15:01:33 GMT
Only took me three and a half years to battle the CSA for child maintenance. In the end i managed to get an Attachment To Earnings Order to ensure the payments were made automatically from his wages. Nightmare situations for single mums with their children and no maintenance years ago!
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feral
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Post by feral on Jan 27, 2009 15:12:59 GMT
Any proposed law that gives a government body the right to bypass courts should be viewed very suspiciously indeed
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Post by Libby on Jan 27, 2009 15:15:10 GMT
Could that be because most cases have gone through the court system already feral, and that's when the nonpayment problem starts. I may be wrong?!
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Post by joliet on Jan 27, 2009 15:15:28 GMT
Another ineffectual piece of legislation as the absentees tend to be able to wriggle their way out of paying
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feral
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Post by feral on Jan 27, 2009 15:24:01 GMT
Could that be because most cases have gone through the court system already feral, and that's when the nonpayment problem starts. I may be wrong?!
I've no idea, Libby.I'm just highly suspicious of any laws that circumvent courts.I always ask myself " what comes next ? " If this sort of,seemingly harmless, law gets passed with most people saying " well ,its a good idea in principle -bastards should be made to pay up in anyway possible " what will they slip through next time ?
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Post by joliet on Jan 27, 2009 15:27:15 GMT
And who will have their lives turned upside down on the whim of a vindictive "victim" trying to claim?
Lorry driving ex gets driving license taken away because partner says they owe child maintenance when the partner is just jealous that the ex has moved on? It happens
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Post by oldmanofthesea on Jan 27, 2009 15:53:42 GMT
Parents should be responsible for their childs financial needs. If a man chooses to father a child they should pay for that childs needs. As for the law well we all know that the law has changed from being an ass to being an ass hole with clever lawyers doing anything to win their case. And as for that good old European fek up, human rights you can stuff that up the!!!
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Post by cn on Jan 27, 2009 16:05:14 GMT
This rubbish all assumes that the passport agency talks to the csa or whatever they call it this week.
So they take your passport....apply for a new one then, I can guarantee that the passport issuing authorities will not check with csa first.
....oh and another thing, how many of the csa dodgers actually have British passports?.....they can't take foreign passports off people.
More ill conceived legislation from our corrupt, incompetent government.
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Post by Victor Meldrew on Jan 27, 2009 16:25:36 GMT
I totally agree. More completely unworkable claptrap from a Government desperately running out of ideas and trying to look as though they are still able to be popular.
So if they track down an absent father, who happens to be employed as a lorry driver, a courier, a bus driver or similar occupation, what will be the effect of taking away their driving licence? They will lose their job, and not only will the taxpayer have to continue paying for the child's upbringing, we'll now have to pay unemployment benefit to the father too. Brilliant!
Just out of interest, if the father refuses to hand over his licence or passport to the CMEC's representatives, what happens next? I assume they'd have to take him to court to obtain an order for him to hand it over? D'oh!
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Post by vania on Jan 27, 2009 17:18:04 GMT
Lovely idea. And how about parents who are not absent out of choice? Those for whom their ex partners withold access to the children because they're bitter?
Any action against them?
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Post by puffin on Jan 27, 2009 17:20:50 GMT
I've no doubt there would be if the cases were as plentiful.
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Post by vania on Jan 27, 2009 17:22:58 GMT
I think they are Puffin. But for some reason, it's not seen as that big a deal.
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Post by tarrant on Jan 27, 2009 17:34:49 GMT
Have to say I also think this is a stupid and cack handed repair job on a severely broken system.
If there was any evidence that such errant fathers were fleeing the country to avoid paying their way then fine. But it's just another non-judicial punishment.
The CSA seems uniquely suited to the phrase, Not Suited for Purpose.
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