Parents can use the child maintenance system to continue to abuse their former partners, for example by withholding payments or access to children. Written evidence from Gingerbread and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner set out that, for survivors of domestic abuse, the CMS may be the safest and only way to secure maintenance from their ex-partner.34 However, although vulnerable and low-income families, those with disabilities, and those with higher levels of parental conflict are more likely t...

Parents can use the child maintenance system to continue to abuse their former partners, for example by withholding payments or access to children. Written evidence from Gingerbread and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner set out that, for survivors of domestic abuse, the CMS may be the safest and only way to secure maintenance from their ex-partner.34 However, although vulnerable and low-income families, those with disabilities, and those with higher levels of parental conflict are more likely to have no arrangement in place, the Department knows little about separated parents without any form of arrangement.35 It does not know how many cases th Type: conclusion | Number: 19 | Response status: not_addressed Government response: 3. PAC recommendation: The Department should, as part of its Treasury Minute response, outline how it will identify cases which potentially involve domestic abuse or coercive control and adapt its services and communications in response. It should build into its