Lanark and Hamilton East MP has written to the Minister in charge of Child Maintenance calling on her to abolish the 4% tax rate that receiving parents have deducted from their regular child support payment if the parent has been subject to domestic abuse.

The charge is to cover the costs of administration, and to encourage a ‘family based’ agreement out with Government control.

However, in her letter, the local MP has highlighted the difficulty domestic abuse victims will inevitably encounter if they were to try and set up a ‘family based’ arrangement and questioned whether the Government should be encouraging domestic abuse victims to engage with their ex-partners.

Angela has also submitted an EDM in Westminster highlighting her campaign.

Commenting, Angela said:

“No one should lose money for being on the receiving end of domestic abuse – but in this case they are.

“The implication that a family-based agreement is desirable and therefore cheaper is reasonable if the two parents split and are in a position to continue communication.

“But in the case of domestic violence victim-survivors it is abhorrent to suggest that they should communicate and engage with an abusive ex-partner.

“The tax on receiving parents makes no distinction between those that split from their partners on reasonable terms and those that have been forced to leave as a result of abuse

“We should be providing victims of domestic violence with as much support as possible – not punishing them with an iniquitous tax.

“This policy is taking money from children and families recovering from abuse – it’s time to scrap it.