Opposition to the British Child Support Act 1991 has been widespread and hostile. The authors assert that the British government, in placing one objective - the reduction of benefits expenditure on lone parents above all others has not only compromised the possibility of meeting any of the other objectives of the legislation but also, in the light of events, been forced to reveal the real ideological agenda behind its claim to be concerned with the welfare of children. The authors outline the origins and early history of the Act and its executive arm, the Child Support Agency (CSA), and raises some questions as to what the outcomes, as opposed to the stated objectives, of the legislation may be.