Advice for family member

potentialhousebuyer

Could someone advise? 

Family member applied through child maintenance as arrangements that were agreed informally stopped working. 

Child maintenance provided an amount higher than what was been paid informally. 

Communication has indicated the parent won’t pay on the day specified. 

Are the steps next to allow them so many days to pay and then escalate back to child maintenance? 

Can their employer if child maintenance decide to go down that route refuse deductions? 

Penguin_

Child maintenance can be paid via the paying parents payslip but as far as I know this is a last resort but will include back dated to the date of the claim. 

Keep on at the Child Maintenance Service so they know it isn't being received.

potentialhousebuyer

The date was missed for when it should be paid so they have informed CMS and asked for collect and pay to happen direct from the employer, no idea how long that takes to implement though. 

burbanJelly

It sounds like a tough situation. Here's what you can do:

If the parent isn’t paying on time, you can give them a few more days to make the payment. If they still don’t pay, you can contact Child Maintenance Services (CMS) again. They can arrange to take the money directly from the parent's wages.

If CMS decides to take this step, the employer has to follow the order and make the deductions. Employers can’t refuse to do this. Keep track of all communication in case you need to escalate it further.

potentialhousebuyer

Thank you so much for that reply. 

They found out yesterday that CMS are going to get the employer to start taking the money direct from the other parents salary each month. 

It says they owed arrears and that would be dealt with too, but not sure how as they did not say. 

So they are making progress.