Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what is the current total value is of child maintenance arrears.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service is committed to ensuring that child maintenance is paid in full and on time, and where arrears occur we take robust action to recover money owed to children and families.
The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service and the latest statistics are currently available to June 2025. Table 5 of the latest National tables shows the total amount of child maintenance that Paying Parents should have paid since the Child Maintenance Service began, and how much of that has not been paid as at the end of June 2025.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of child maintenance arrears that are (a) likely to be recovered in full, (b) partly recoverable and (c) unlikely to be recovered.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Administrative child maintenance schemes have operated in the UK since 1993. This response addresses the position of arrears under the 2012 child maintenance scheme, which has managed new applications since December 2012. There are legislative differences between arrears arising under this scheme and those accrued under previous schemes.
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) has a low percentage of unpaid maintenance. 7% of the total maintenance due to be paid since the CMS began, remains to be collected through Collect & Pay
Under the CMS 2012 scheme, all arrears are regarded as collectable unless the receiving parent (or child in Scotland) requests that CMS cease action, or in limited circumstances such as the death of the paying parent where recovery from the estate is not possible. As arrears are owed to the receiving parent rather than the Secretary of State, CMS does not deem any debt uncollectable. CMS continues to focus on enforcement based on the paying parent’s ability to pay, which may vary over time, and actively pursues unpaid maintenance of all ages to ensure children receive the financial support to which they are entitled.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what performance metrics his Department uses to evaluate the timeliness and quality of support provided to Members of Parliament when handling child maintenance queries.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of the total value of child maintenance arrears has been outstanding for (a) under 12 months, (b) 1 to 3 years, (c) 3 to 7 years and (d) more than 7 years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of child maintenance owed is collected within (a) 3, (b) 6 and (c) 12 months of assessment.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what actions have been taken in response to recommendations made by the Independent Case Examiner in relation to Child Maintenance Service complaints in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) have implemented measures in line with the Independent Case Examiner's recommendations in each of the last five years.
Actions include strengthening enforcement processes, improving complaint handling procedures, enhancing staff training, updating guidance, and reviewing policies to ensure fairer outcomes for parents and children. These actions demonstrate CMS commitment to learning from ICE recommendations and improving the experience of CMS customers.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what modelling has the Department conducted on using real-time earnings data to enable immediate recalculation, including (a) real-time PAYE and (b) self-assessment data.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to improving digital services and aligning with the Department’s aim to deliver modern, efficient, and responsive services to customers.
In June 2025, we published a response to our consultation outlining our intention to remove Direct Pay as a service type, to increase effective maintenance arrangements and help lift children out of poverty. This reform will be a main priority in our digital plans over the next few years, alongside modernising technology to be cloud-based, data-driven and scalable.
We continue to improve our digital services based on customer needs. Online services, including Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance and My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC), allow parents to access advice and manage their case 24/7. We have introduced online messaging for some processes and plan to expand this further.
We work closely with the courts on child maintenance matters, but there are no current plans to review data-sharing processes. Any future proposals would comply with data protection laws and ensure strong security.
Some aspects of our online services already use Real Time Information (RTI) from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Gross income details for paying parents, including PAYE, are taken directly from HMRC for the latest tax year, allowing quick and accurate calculations. CMS also uses HMRC RTI to verify current income where it differs by 25% or more from the tax year figure. This threshold provides stability for both parents and avoids frequent recalculations for minor changes.
The Government is currently reviewing the child maintenance calculation to ensure it remains fit for purpose, including updating underlying research and considering how to reflect current and future societal trends.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department gives to the Child Maintenance Service to verify income for self-employed parents and those operating via company structures; and what mechanisms are in place to improve accuracy.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
For self-employed paying parents, the gross income used in a maintenance calculation is provided by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in the first instance. HMRC will provide details of the gross taxable profit of the paying parent's business, for the most recent complete tax year
People who are self-employed are required to keep accurate records of their business income and expenses for tax purposes. HMRC can charge penalties for inaccurate reporting where it results in tax being unpaid.
Where a paying parent is the Director of their limited liability company, they are legally an employee of that company and are treated the same as any other employee for child maintenance purposes.
If the receiving parent believes that the paying parent has additional income as a result of their employment status, for example, dividends they can apply for a variation to include this income in the maintenance calculation.
Cases involving complex income can be investigated by the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU). This is a specialist team which can request information from financial institutions to check the accuracy of information the CMS is given. The FIU uses its extensive investigative powers to ensure that families receive child maintenance appropriately and in accordance with the paying parent’s whole income.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Department plans to publish a child maintenance arrears reduction strategy for the next five years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government is committed to maximising the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), which plays a vital role in ensuring that children receive the financial support to which they are entitled. Only 7 per cent of the total maintenance due since the CMS commenced operations in 2012 remains outstanding through the Collect and Pay service.
Significant reforms to the CMS have already been announced setting out our intention to move to a single service where all payments will be collected and transferred on behalf of parents. This reform will enable the CMS to address non-compliance more swiftly and provide enhanced support to victims and survivors of domestic abuse.
The CMS have a strong range of enforcement powers and continually review how these can be strengthened to improve the CMS’s ability to deploy enforcement measures more widely and select the most appropriate action in each case.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what long term reforms to Child Maintenance Service digital services are being considered, including in relation to (a) online self service for parents, (b) real time information sharing with HMRC, and (c) data sharing with the courts.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to improving digital services and aligning with the Department’s aim to deliver modern, efficient, and responsive services to customers.
In June 2025, we published a response to our consultation outlining our intention to remove Direct Pay as a service type, to increase effective maintenance arrangements and help lift children out of poverty. This reform will be a main priority in our digital plans over the next few years, alongside modernising technology to be cloud-based, data-driven and scalable.
We continue to improve our digital services based on customer needs. Online services, including Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance and My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC), allow parents to access advice and manage their case 24/7. We have introduced online messaging for some processes and plan to expand this further.
We work closely with the courts on child maintenance matters, but there are no current plans to review data-sharing processes. Any future proposals would comply with data protection laws and ensure strong security.
Some aspects of our online services already use Real Time Information (RTI) from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Gross income details for paying parents, including PAYE, are taken directly from HMRC for the latest tax year, allowing quick and accurate calculations. CMS also uses HMRC RTI to verify current income where it differs by 25% or more from the tax year figure. This threshold provides stability for both parents and avoids frequent recalculations for minor changes.
The Government is currently reviewing the child maintenance calculation to ensure it remains fit for purpose, including updating underlying research and considering how to reflect current and future societal trends.