Submitted by Sara Mason-Parker on Tuesday 27th January 2026
Published on Monday 23rd March 2026
Current status: Open
Open until: Wednesday 23rd September 2026
Current Signatures: 21
(count is updated approximately hourly)
Review financial support for parents if child maintenance payments can't be made
Review financial support available to single parents if the other parent is unable to pay their child maintenance payment. We believe more needs to be done to support single-parent households by introducing a government-backed income or interim payment when the other parent cannot contribute.
Single parents can be placed in severe financial hardship when the other parent cannot pay child maintenance due to for example unemployment, illness, absence or avoidance. The financial burden can then fall entirely on the primary caregiver, forcing families into poverty and instability. This directly affects children’s wellbeing, development and access to basic needs. In our view there is currently no safety net to ensure continued financial support. We believe that government intervention is necessary when these arrangements fail.
If you want to sign this petition (as opposed to merely discuss it), you need to do that on the government's e-Petitions website.
216.73.217.179 Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:13:32 +0100