Mr Little Legs

A fixer 🙄

[Mr Little Legs @PloddMan99]

https://t.co/zUCIuTzhPv

[Joseph Robertson @JRtypes]

💥 THE CHILD MAINTENANCE SERVICE IS COMPLETELY INCOMPETENT AND THE DWP PERPETRATES A CONTINUED COVERUP 👉 READ / SHARE:

Two years ago, I began a series of articles in The Epoch Times that exposed the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) as a scandal “far bigger” than the Post Office Horizon debacle. Debbie Abrahams, Richard Tice and Ann Widdecombe, alongside fearless campaigners, warned of its devastating impact—financial ruin, mental anguish, and even suicides among paying parents crushed by a rogue system. Yet, here we are in 2025, and what’s changed? Nothing meaningful. Why is the gov still dragging its feet on a crisis that’s tearing families apart? 👉

My articles laid bare a CMS riddled with failures: inaccurate assessments, inflated salaries, and draconian enforcement like asset seizures and imprisonment, often without due process. Campaigners like Noel Willcox called it “extortion,” pointing to a 2018 ruling by Judge Greensmith that exposed procedural flaws in liability orders. Parents reported enforcement fees illegally tacked on, yet the DWP dismissed these as mere “mistakes.” Sound familiar?

The parallels to the Post Office scandal are chilling. Like Horizon, the CMS operates with a presumption of infallibility, issuing liability orders based on outdated or fabricated data. Paying parents, often falsely labeled “deadbeat dads,” face bailiffs, passport bans, and jail time. The National Audit Office has refused to sign off on CMS financials since 2012 due to inflated collection figures. Why hasn’t this triggered alarm bells?

Most damning is the human cost. Brian Hudson’s data, cited in all my articles, showed paying parents in arrears have a mortality rate 14.28 times the national average, with 93.1% of “excess deaths” linked to CMS pressure. Labour MP Debbie Abrahams raised suicides in Parliament, yet the DWP denies any causal link. How many more lives must be lost before this is treated as the crisis it is?

The Tory government’s response? A 2023 consultation promised reforms: scrapping the £20 application fee (done in Feb 2024), speeding up enforcement with administrative liability orders (ALOs), and tweaking domestic abuse protections. But these are Band-Aids on a broken system. ALOs, meant to bypass courts, risk further eroding due process, as Families Need Fathers warned in 2024, likening it to the Post Office’s “self-investigations.”

A 2023 High Court case saw single mothers challenge CMS delays, but the judge ruled the failures weren’t unlawful—just “occasional missteps.” Meanwhile, 60% of new CMS users report domestic abuse, yet the system fails to prioritize their cases or protect them from economic abuse. The Child Support (Domestic Abuse) Act 2023 passed, but secondary legislation is still pending. Why the delay?

The CMS manages £1.3 billion for 960,000 children, yet enforcement remains sluggish—down from 22 weeks to 6-8 for ALOs, but still too slow for families in need. Paying parents face aggressive tactics, while receiving parents wait endlessly for funds. Both sides suffer, yet the DWP clings to a culture of “denial and incompetence,” as Tice put it. Where’s the accountability?

CMS powers to raid bank accounts have been questioned as potentially “unlawful,” with calls for the bill be scrapped. Campaigners like Willcox argue liability orders since 2012 could be illegal, ripe for a class action. Why hasn’t this been tested in higher courts? Why are we still debating reforms when the system’s rot is clear?

The Post Office scandal took years of public outcry / a TV drama to force action. Must CMS victims wait for a Netflix series to get justice? The government’s own review admitted modernization is “desperately needed,” yet no real change has been enacted, as Tice urged. Now this isn’t just inaction—it’s potentially life-ending neglect.

I’m calling on MPs to act NOW. Investigate CMS failures, audit its financials, pause ALOs. Share your stories below—let’s make this scandal impossible to ignore ✍️

[Mr Little Legs @PloddMan99]

@dorsetpolice Sometimes "please angry person with a knife, can you please put it down" might get someone stabbed and not work. Speak to someone in a language they understand. A police officer is there to protect in any way they can. Too many leaders are so far removed from dangers of policing

[Mr Little Legs @PloddMan99]

@dorsetpolice @dorsetpolice what an absolute joke. People are being killed with knives every day. You have sacked a capable and good officer because he was not well spoken enough when dealing with a horrible situation. You should be ashamed. Such weak leaders who just tick political boxes.

[Mr Little Legs @PloddMan99]

@RupertLowe10 Every aspect of the system fails men and young boys. DA is minimised and the bias is huge. Men do not report DA. They are failed by many professionals and the family courts when children are used as weapons. Is it any wonder the suicide rate is over 70% male. Connect the dots !

[Mr Little Legs @PloddMan99]

@RupertLowe10 We hear everyday that more needs to be done to protect women and young girls. I absolutely agree. However, while you are only focusing on that the divide grows bigger and bigger for support for men. The whole system in how a man is treated is generations behind that of women.

[Mr Little Legs @PloddMan99]

@westmidspolfed Well done. About time more is pushed for this. Support for DA especially is decades behind services that are available for women. Men, Women & children should all have the same support and belief system. At the moment it still feels Abnormal/Awkward for people to support men.

[HeadsUpGuys @HeadsUpGuys]

When it comes to self-esteem, we can be our own worst enemy.

Our mental health can greatly influence the direction of our self-talk to be either positive or negative, and in turn, that self-talk will influence our mental health.

[HeadsUpGuys @HeadsUpGuys]

When we’re struggling the last thing we want to do may be talking to someone about it.

Being able to share our challenges with others can take a huge weight off our shoulders and reduce the intensity of the feelings we have.

https://t.co/0rEPOygaAl

[HeadsUpGuys @HeadsUpGuys]

If you're concerned about a friend, partner, or family member it's important to start a conversation to get them the support and help they need. We can hep you get the conversation started:

https://t.co/k4SR35wtA7

[HeadsUpGuys @HeadsUpGuys]

The holidays can be stressful and can sometimes make it harder for us to stay on top of our mental health.

Keeping a routine, spending time with family and friends, practicing meditation and getting outdoors can all help your mental health during the holidays.

[The Ben Fund @TheBenFund]

Members, dependents, surviving partners and widow(er)s who are in need can be helped by way of a monetary grant to pay for items or services which will alleviate their suffering and generally assist them. More information here: https://t.co/lNKqxycqPa

[West Midlands Police Benevolent Fund Charity @wmpbenfund]

World Mental Health Day 2023 takes place on 10 October. Looking after your mental health is so important. Poor mental health can affect our physical health, daily lives & relationships with others. Read how our charity can support you if you are struggling
https://t.co/frIp80sAc4

[The Ben Fund @TheBenFund]

The Ben Fund is a charity which exists for the sole purpose of supporting the health and wellbeing of its service users. We do not seek to make a profit – all donations received are to enhance the service provided to members and service users. https://t.co/KMwnQ7zbfB

[The Ben Fund @TheBenFund]

For a monthly donation of just £7.40, officers can join The Ben Fund and receive support for mental or physical ill-health or financial difficulties. Apply here: https://t.co/SyjNawYiHx

[HeadsUpGuys @HeadsUpGuys]

Speak your truth, even if your voice shakes. Reach out for help, even if you feel helpless. Together, we can make a difference in suicide prevention.

https://t.co/q8YT4zHh9Y

[HeadsUpGuys @HeadsUpGuys]

When we’re battling depression, our ability to adaptively manage stress can deteriorate, and stress from one area of our life can spill over into others.

We've got some help for you if you're having difficulties managing your stress.

https://t.co/x0rsZIXXHT

[The Ben Fund @TheBenFund]

"Within two weeks of The Ben Fund having my details I was here having treatment, with the NHS 2 years had passed without seeing anybody." We support retired officers to help them continue living their lives to the full. More at https://t.co/fQaaqQvnrQ https://t.co/wTkNDVt3ow

[The Ben Fund @TheBenFund]

“Being in the police is a very stressful job. While we can’t change that, we can support and guide you, and help you access your emotions.” Our counsellor Katie talks about how counselling can be life-changing: https://t.co/3yUtkyBXJ9

[The Ben Fund @TheBenFund]

It’s well known that a short break away from your regular life can leave you feeling re-charged and refreshed.
So why not book a weekend break at our state-of-the-art treatment centre, St Michael’s Lodge. https://t.co/njdotJouWJ