Number of separated parents paying towards their children rises in North West

Number of separated parents paying towards their children rises in North West

The number of separated parents in the North West in the Child Support Agency (CSA) paying towards their children has risen this year, latest official figures show.

Four-in-five of the region’s parents (80%) have contributed to their children’s upbringing after a relationship breakdown. This equates to 118,930 children benefiting – up 3330 from the same time last year.

Work and Pensions Minister Lord Freud said: "The vast majority of parents in the CSA are now contributing towards the cost of raising their children, and these figures confirm that doing so after separation is the normal thing to do.

“Half of parents in the state system tell us they could work things out between themselves if given support to do so, and our reforms will help them do just that.”

Changes are being made to the child maintenance system to encourage more parents to collaborate and work things out between themselves.

The government has already awarded funding to seven voluntary and third-sector organisations to give around 280,000 separated families innovative and targeted help to collaborate in their children’s interests. These include parenting classes for the hardest-to-reach teenage mums and dads as well as online counselling and coaching.

It’s the first of two rounds of funding awards, as part of up to £20 million dedicated to supporting separated families.

The existing Child Maintenance Options service has already helped an estimated 149,000 children benefit from an effective family-based arrangement.

Thousands have already used the new government-funded web app 'Sorting out separation, the first ever one-stop shop for separated families. Helping with all the issues thrown up by a break up, it aims to help parents who have decided their only option is to part, minimise the impact of their break up on their children.

A network of telephone services offering help with collaboration will also be rolled out later this year.