Child maintenance survey at odds with government proposals

The Government plan to reduce it's involvement in child maintenance arrangements, and instead expects parents to negotiate their own arrangements, or pay a fee to use the services of the Child Support Agency. Whilst of itself this may well prove to be a triumph of optimism over reality, a survey of British Social Attitudes conducted by NatCen Research shows that the majority of those surveyed feel that the law should set a minimum amount for maintenance, rather than leaving it to parents to have to negotiate.

The survey also revealed that the public felt that those on a higher income should pay a higher percentage of their income by way of child maintenance, thus providing their children with more than just the basics, but with some of the things that a comfortable income brings with it.