What can be done to tackle unpaid child maintenance?

Less than 10 per cent of the £354m owed by absent parents has been clawed back, so what can the government do to reduce the abuse of the system? Maya Oppenheim reports

More than £350m is owed by absent parents across the UK (Getty/iStock)

Single mothers are being left in poverty as a result of unpaid child maintenance – but there are few mechanisms at their disposal to hold the absent parent to account.

The “persistent failure” of the child maintenance system have spurred four single mothers to launch legal action against the Department of Work and Pensions over unpaid support.

Charities have long warned that systemic failings mean parents who do not fork out are able to evade any form of financial or legal punishment – so what can be done about it?