Oral Answers to Questions

Matt Western Excerpts

Monday 26th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Guy Opperman]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question, and I will take it up with him after this debate; I will be delighted to sit down with him and be clear on that matter. The Minister for Employment is at the G7 in Canada, so he cannot answer that point, but we will take it up.

[Matt Western (Warwick and Leamington) (Lab)]

6. Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a legal obligation on parents paying child maintenance to report increases in their income.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Kit Malthouse)]

Such an obligation already exists.

[Matt Western]

If that is the case, can the Minister explain what the lead time is in respect of someone having to declare that change in income? What would be recommended—for example, would it be one month or two months?

[Kit Malthouse]

Paying parents who are in the Child Maintenance Service must declare changes in income immediately if they vary by more than 25% of the previously declared level. Of course every paying parent is subject to an annual review, where adjustments are made to the payments if required.