'Get tough' call over £43m unpaid child maintenance

One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) claimed authorities seemed reluctant to use the powers they had to enforce payments, and said many lone parents faced financial hardship as a result.

Statistics compiled by single parent pressure group Gingerbread showed that across the UK, 3,761 million was owed in child maintenance arrears, some of it dating back 17 years, of which around 1,065m was judged to be collectable. In the Lothians, Livingston was the constituency with the highest level of arrears at 7.612m.

Sue Robertson, director of One Parent Families Scotland, said: "There is a long-standing pattern that government agencies had a lot of powers of enforcement, but were very slow to use them.

"They can arrest wages, stop assets being transferred to a new partner and even have people's driving licences suspended. But there is a long tradition of them being very slow to use the powers that are available and that has been a source of frustration to parents.

"Some people might have genuine difficulties paying because they have lost their job, but others will be trying to avoid their responsibilities."

Ms Robertson said she was delighted the figures had been made available. "This draws attention to the huge amount of maintenance that remains unpaid. This is a real loss to families.

"The costs of bringing up a child are much more difficult to meet if you are not receiving support from the other parent. Some people are really struggling."

Last year the Child Support Agency missed its debt collection target, collecting 147m against a target of 170m.

The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, which is in charge of the CSA, said it had taken 114,400 new enforcement actions in the 12 months to January.

A spokeswoman said: "Regrettably, some parents go to great lengths to avoid their responsibility. But we do not give up on cases, nor write off accumulated arrears."