Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of disputed Child Maintenance Service cases on people's health.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
When a client is dissatisfied, The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) tries to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, without the need for a formal complaint. If the client remains dissatisfied, the Department for Work and Pensions Complaints Team looks at and responds to their complaint.
The CMS is committed to ensuring that it delivers a safe service that is sensitive to the needs of all the parents that use it. We recognise that some parents may face difficult circumstances, particularly at a time of separation, and that disputes with CMS or with the other parent may add to this.
The CMS is well prepared to respond quickly and effectively if it becomes aware that the safety of any of its customers are at risk, and caseworkers receive extensive training and follow a well-managed process with clear steps to support vulnerable clients.
Caseworkers have access to several tools and procedures to help support customers when they advise they cannot afford to pay child maintenance or are struggling with the cost of living in general and are in financial or emotional crisis.
This includes the National District Provision Toolkit and Affordability Hub which provides invaluable information to allow caseworkers to signpost to national and local support organisations for debt help and mental health assistance across the UK.
Additionally, Caseworkers can refer particularly vulnerable customers to the DWP Advanced Customer Support team for debt advice, access to benefits and mental health support.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to conduct a full audit of Child Maintenance Service accounts and third-party payments in the last ten years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Since 2012 the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) has been an operational directorate of the Department for Work and Pensions. The operational costs of running the CMS are included within the overall Departmental accounts that are published annually. These accounts are audited every year by the National Audit Office and a report is prepared for Parliament by the Comptroller and Auditor General. These are available at the following link: DWP annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK
The monies received in and paid out by the Child Maintenance Service are reported in separate accounts, which are also published annually. These are audited every year by the National Audit Office and a report is prepared for Parliament by the Comptroller and Auditor General. These are available at the following link: Child maintenance: client funds accounts - GOV.UK
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to increase oversight of Child Maintenance Service enforcement via (a) independent bodies and (b) ombudsmen.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service will do everything within its powers to make sure parents comply. Where parents fail to take responsibility for paying for their children, the CMS will not hesitate to use the range of enforcement powers available. The CMS is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families.
All calculation decisions made by the CMS can be appealed through the mandatory reconsideration process and beyond that, to the Independent Tribunal Service.
When parents continue to be non-compliant, the CMS may apply to court for a Liability Order. A Liability Order allows the CMS to formally have the debt a paying parent owes legally recognised in a court of law and is required before the CMS can take certain other enforcement actions. The paying parent is given the opportunity to attend a Liability Order hearing.
Following a Liability Order, the CMS can consider which enforcement method to proceed with depending on the circumstances of the case, and the welfare of any qualifying children involved. Where appropriate, the CMS may choose to return to court to pursue further enforcement. This could lead to a magistrates’ court disqualifying a parent from holding or obtaining a driving licence for up to two years or committing them to prison for a maximum of six weeks.
Throughout this process, the paying parent has the right of appeal to a court of law against the ongoing legal action. The level of court may differ, depending on the enforcement measure being appealed. Most appeals are made to a magistrates’ or county court, or in Scotland to the Sheriff Court.
There is also a robust complaints process, which gives parents opportunities to seek redress when the CMS does not meet their expectations. When a client is dissatisfied, the CMS tries to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, without the need for a formal complaint. If the client remains dissatisfied, the Department for Work and Pensions Complaints Team looks at and responds to their complaint. After that, they can raise it with the Independent Case Examiner and finally with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, through their Member of Parliament.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's reports entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, and Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms - Impacts, published on 26 March 2025, what assessment she has made of the impact of changes to welfare benefits on people claiming (a) Housing Benefit and (b) the housing costs element of Universal Credit.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’(opens in a new tab).
A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
Note:
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of maintaining the level of Housing Benefit until 2026 on the affordability of housing for people on Housing Benefit.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Both Housing Benefit and the housing element of Universal Credit provide support for renters in the private and social rented sectors.
The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum housing support for households claiming either benefit can receive if they are privately renting.
Ahead of Autumn Budget 2024, DWP Ministers looked at a range of factors when considering the LHA rates for 2025/26. This included rental data, the impacts of LHA rates, rate increases in April 2024, and the wider fiscal context. The April 2024 one-year LHA increase cost an additional £1.2bn in 2024/25 and approximately £7bn over 5 years.
We have also invested £1bn in funding for both the Household Support Fund (HSF) and Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) (including Barnett impacts) for 2025/26 and the level of DHP funding has been maintained at current levels. DHPs are available from local authorities for those unable to meet a shortfall in their rent.
Any future decisions on LHA policy will be taken in the context of the Government’s missions, goals on housing and the challenging fiscal context.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the timescale for the cancellation of debts owed to the Child Maintenance Service.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
In 2012, powers were introduced which allowed the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to write off historic Child Support Agency (CSA) and CMS debt in specific scenarios where it would be unfair or inappropriate to enforce liability. Examples of these scenarios include if the receiving parent tells us they no longer want us to collect the arrears, or the paying parent is deceased, and no further action can be taken to recover the arrears from the paying parent’s estate.
Further powers were then introduced in 2018, which allowed remaining CSA cases to be closed following the collection or write-off of historic arrears, as part of the closure of the scheme. This was a one-off exercise, applying only to CSA debt.
Writing off is not a quick or easy decision and involves exhausting other approaches to deal with the debt. Where receiving parents wanted the CMS to attempt to collect the CSA debt, the CMS made one last attempt to collect CSA arrears where this was cost effective and had a possibility of success. Both parents were able to make representations during the process and paying parents were given an opportunity to provide evidence to dispute the value of the outstanding debt. No payments of compensation are issued by the CMS where write off decisions are made.
The CMS’ priority is to collect money owed to children who will benefit today, thereby preventing the build-up of arrears on the CMS.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has plans for the compensation of children in Child Maintenance Service cases where the debt is cancelled.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
In 2012, powers were introduced which allowed the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to write off historic Child Support Agency (CSA) and CMS debt in specific scenarios where it would be unfair or inappropriate to enforce liability. Examples of these scenarios include if the receiving parent tells us they no longer want us to collect the arrears, or the paying parent is deceased, and no further action can be taken to recover the arrears from the paying parent’s estate.
Further powers were then introduced in 2018, which allowed remaining CSA cases to be closed following the collection or write-off of historic arrears, as part of the closure of the scheme. This was a one-off exercise, applying only to CSA debt.
Writing off is not a quick or easy decision and involves exhausting other approaches to deal with the debt. Where receiving parents wanted the CMS to attempt to collect the CSA debt, the CMS made one last attempt to collect CSA arrears where this was cost effective and had a possibility of success. Both parents were able to make representations during the process and paying parents were given an opportunity to provide evidence to dispute the value of the outstanding debt. No payments of compensation are issued by the CMS where write off decisions are made.
The CMS’ priority is to collect money owed to children who will benefit today, thereby preventing the build-up of arrears on the CMS.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has plans for securing outstanding Child Maintenance Service payments when the party in arrears declares they have no fixed place of work.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to ensuring separated parents support their children financially, taking robust enforcement action against those who do not. Where parents fail to pay their child maintenance, the Service will not hesitate to use its enforcement powers, including deductions from earnings orders, removal of driving licences, disqualification from holding a passport, and committal to prison.
If a paying parent is in receipts of benefits, the CMS can set up a deduction from the benefit to collect ongoing maintenance, or arrears in the case of Collect and Pay. The CMS is able to deduct £8.40 a week towards ongoing maintenance or arrears from certain prescribed benefits. Deductions towards arrears and ongoing maintenance are not taken at the same time. Arrears deductions are taken only after ongoing liability has been satisfied.
Where parents frequently change employment, the CMS can use alternative powers such as deducting child maintenance directly from their bank account.
To allow enforcement action to be taken where appropriate, the CMS can issue legal notifications and documents to a client’s last known or notified address. The CMS utilises a wide range of information sources to determine, on the balance of probabilities, which is the correct last known or last notified address.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has plans for securing outstanding Child Maintenance Service payments when the party in arrears declares they have no fixed address.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to ensuring separated parents support their children financially, taking robust enforcement action against those who do not. Where parents fail to pay their child maintenance, the Service will not hesitate to use its enforcement powers, including deductions from earnings orders, removal of driving licences, disqualification from holding a passport, and committal to prison.
If a paying parent is in receipts of benefits, the CMS can set up a deduction from the benefit to collect ongoing maintenance, or arrears in the case of Collect and Pay. The CMS is able to deduct £8.40 a week towards ongoing maintenance or arrears from certain prescribed benefits. Deductions towards arrears and ongoing maintenance are not taken at the same time. Arrears deductions are taken only after ongoing liability has been satisfied.
Where parents frequently change employment, the CMS can use alternative powers such as deducting child maintenance directly from their bank account.
To allow enforcement action to be taken where appropriate, the CMS can issue legal notifications and documents to a client’s last known or notified address. The CMS utilises a wide range of information sources to determine, on the balance of probabilities, which is the correct last known or last notified address.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to increase the ability of the Child Maintenance Service to access bank accounts held in joint names for securing outstanding payments.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) has a range of strong enforcement powers that are designed to get money flowing quickly, prevent the build-up of arrears and ensure children get the financial support they deserve.
When a paying parent does not make maintenance payments on time or in full, the CMS will initially negotiate a payment that is feasible for the parent to pay. If this is unsuccessful, the CMS has powers to deduct maintenance from a wide range of bank accounts.
In 2018, regulations were passed which allow the CMS to make deductions from joint and unlimited partnership business accounts.