It's already abysmally easy to dodge child support – but even more so if you're in the military

The agreement between the Ministry of Defence and the Child Maintenance Service enables abusers to continue financially controlling their ex-partners, writes Marisa Bate

Nearly a million families are still owed child maintenance money by the CSA (Getty)

Of the countless hurdles single parents face, among the most exasperating is the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), the government’s system to enable separated parents to pay their child’s living costs.

From administrative errors to endless waiting times, easy-to-exploit loopholes to lack of enforcement, the CMS, run by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), is renowned for driving single parents to desperation; some have even told me it has left them feeling suicidal. Perhaps worst of all, the shambolic setup allows abusers to continue economically manipulating their former partners and children.