Petition · past parliament · Ministry of Justice
Make non-payment of child maintenance a criminal offence
Closed
356 signatures
What the petition asks
The Government should make non-payment of child maintenance a criminal offence to help ensure single parents receive up to date child maintenance. Payments should be regular and fair.
Parents who do not pay child maintenance should face criminal sanctions, including imprisonment. The system has failed too many parents and children for many years. Too many families do not receive the maintenance due, and no or insufficient action is taken to enforce child maintenance debts. The system has failed over and over & something has to be done about this once and for all.
Timeline
| 12 Apr 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 12 Oct 2021 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
356
Status
Closed
Department
Ministry of Justice
Opened
12 Apr 2021
Closed
12 Oct 2021
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.