Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that timeframes imposed by the Child Maintenance Service are (a) proportionate and (b) matched by equivalent service standards within the Department.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We have interpreted your question to refer to the timescales the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) uses in progressing cases.
The CMS inform customers of expected timeframes for actions to be completed when changes are reported or require progressing. Customers can use the Track Changes function on MCMC at any time to view the expected completion date of changes.
The timescales to progress cases varies depending on the type of case action being taken and information required to progress any change. When CMS require additional information to progress a case, the customer is advised of the timeframe for providing the information required.
The CMS has four official key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure that the service acts on information and progresses cases in a timely manner once received from the customer. These KPIs include standard measures for 1) assessment accuracy, 2) application clearances, 3) change of circumstances clearances and 4) Collect and Pay compliance.
The CMS has exceeded the KPI indicators, demonstrating that it is meeting the standards set by the department. We are always working to modernise our service and how we communicate with our customers. We also work closely with the wider DWP colleagues to ensure measures and timescales are compared for consistency, where appropriate.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
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 Child Maintenance Service late payment fees being deducted from maintenance payments on receiving parents and children.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) does not charge late payment fees. It does charge fees to paying parents and receiving parents who are on the Collect and Pay service: twenty per cent on top of the maintenance liability for the paying parent and four per cent of the maintenance received for the receiving parent.
A case will only be moved to Collect and Pay if the paying parent agrees to Collect and Pay, or if they demonstrate an unwillingness to pay their maintenance liability. This is why paying parents are charged a higher fee (20 per cent) as they have more control on whether the case is put into Collect and Pay. The collection charge is only deducted when the maintenance is paid.
In July 2024 the government consulted on the proposal for wider reform to consolidate the CMS into a single service type where the CMS monitors and transfers payments. The consultation Improving the collection and transfer of payments, also proposed a new fee structure of just 2% for receiving parents, deducted from maintenance received; 2% for compliant paying parents, on top of maintenance owed; and 20% for non-compliant paying parents, on top of maintenance owed. The consultation received over 2,700 public responses, and engagement from stakeholder organisations across the UK in addition to commissioning research to help quantify the impact of the reforms.
The Government published its response to the consultation on the 23 June setting out its intention to proceed with reform of the system. More information can be found at Government response: Child Maintenance: Improving the collection and transfer of payments - GOV.UK
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) responsiveness and (b) accountability of the Child Maintenance Service when people request clarification of figures used in their assessments.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service are wholly committed to delivering the best possible service to all customers within our growing caseload.
To ensure calculations are accurate the department continues to build on its already proportionate and cost-effective controls, such as:
In all instances where a new calculation is made both parents will receive a written breakdown of the figures used in the calculation which also includes advice on where to learn more about child maintenance calculations, how to contact the Child Maintenance Service and how to raise a dispute if they disagree with the calculation.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) accuracy and (b) transparency of Special Expenses calculations by the Child Maintenance Service for (i) flights, (ii) fuel and (iii) other high-cost contact travel.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions and Child Maintenance Service rigorously monitors accuracy as part of our service ambition to further reduce error and increase our accuracy levels. The National Audit Office set a target of monetary value errors under 1%. This standard is consistently met.
Since applications for special expense variations relate to the Paying Parents’ own expenditure, Paying Parents are expected to provide any information and evidence needed to support their application. Guidance for DWP decision makers on child maintenance, in relation to Variation decisions is available in the following link Volume 3 - Variations (Chapters 27-36).
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Child Maintenance Service takes to provide clear explanations and evidence when rejecting claims submitted by paying parents.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) trains caseworkers in making effective decisions, which includes explaining decisions effectively to customers and issuing letters containing information about the different factors considered and rules applied when making decisions. Caseworkers also adhere to a ‘contact hierarchy’ when assessing the most suitable form of communication, which gives them the discretion to consider other forms of contact if they deem appropriate.
CMS will investigate any claims received from Paying Parents and make decisions based on evidence provided or corroborated by other sources. If a decision is made to reject a claim, they will clearly explain in writing the reason for the decision, how to contact CMS to discuss it further, and the rights of dispute and appeal.
When a customer requests CMS to review a decision, known as a Mandatory Reconsideration, CMS will review any evidence held that informed the original decision, alongside any further evidence submitted by the deadline to inform the outcome of the Mandatory Reconsideration.
CMS issues a written Mandatory Reconsideration Notice to all customers involved in the case. The letter includes information on the type of decision reviewed, the date the original decision was made and the effective date, as well as the Mandatory Reconsideration outcome and reason for the decision.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
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 the (a) two-child limit and (b) benefit cap on levels of child poverty among (i) children who are not eligible for (A) breakfast clubs and (B) free school meals and (ii) other children; and whether her Department plans to (1) review and (2) revise these policies.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child. The Child Poverty Taskforce is exploring all available levers, including considering social security reforms, to ensure we deliver measures which tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty.
Furthermore, as a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap.
Our commitments at the 2025 spending review come on top of the existing action we have taken which includes expanding free breakfast clubs, capping the number of branded school uniform items children are expected to wear, increasing the national minimum wage for those on the lowest incomes and supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Child Maintenance Service is required to justify delays in its decision-making processes.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Child Maintenance customers can use the online service to track the progress of reported changes and view expected completion dates at any time without the need to call. They can also upload evidence and view any letters which have been sent to them. All calculation decisions made by the CMS can be appealed through the mandatory reconsideration process and beyond that, to the Independent Tribunal Service.
The CMS publishes timeliness data on some of the key decision-making processes such as determining applications, accounting for changes in circumstances and performing mandatory reconsiderations.
Decision making processes can vary in length depending upon complexity and whether both parties have a right to provide and/or contest evidence. Where customers are concerned that a decision has been delayed unreasonably, 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: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to reduce child poverty in Guildford, following the Spring Statement 2025.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government. The Ministerial Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy looking at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Government
The Taskforce is listening to experts and campaigners across the UK and ensuring the voices of families and children with experience of poverty are brought into policy thinking and decision making as part of the development of the Child Poverty Strategy. This includes three key stands of work – a Parents and Carers Forum, engagement with the Changing Realities Project and research with children and young people.
We know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty. The Get Britain Working (GBW) White Paper, with £240 million investment, sets out ambitious plans to reform employment support, including £15 million to support trailblazers and local development of GBW plans.
The vital work of the Taskforce comes alongside our commitments to triple investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million, introduce a Fair Repayment Rate for deductions from Universal Credit, improve the adequacy of the standard allowance with the first sustained above inflation rise in the basic rate of Universal Credit since it was introduced and increase the National Living Wage to £12.21 an hour to boost the pay of three million workers.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to require profitable companies to increase pre-1997 occupational pensions in line with inflation.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Members of defined benefit pension schemes with non-indexed pre-1997 pension accrued, are now understandably concerned at seeing inflation erode the value of their retirement income. The Government’s recently announced reforms on the use of surpluses in defined benefit schemes will make it easier for individual schemes to make decisions that improve outcomes for both sponsoring employers and members, which could include discretionary benefit increases.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support more people with disabilities to (a) enter and (b) remain in the workplace; and what plans she has to improve access to (i) employment opportunities and (ii) workplace adjustments.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and WorkWell.
It is also recognised that employers play an important role in addressing health and disability. To build on this, the Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD) is facilitating “Keep Britain Working”, an independent review of the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. The lead reviewer, Sir Charlie Mayfield, is expected to bring forward recommendations in Autumn 2025. Additionally, the JWHD has developed a digital information service for employers, continues to oversee the Disability Confident Scheme, and continues to increase access to Occupational Health. Backed by £240m investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched on 26 November will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate.
As announced in the Green Paper, we are investing £1 billion a year by the end of the decade in new employment, health and skills support – one of the biggest packages of new employment support for sick and disabled people ever - including new tailored support conversations for people on health and disability benefits, and more intensive programmes of support with health and work to break down barriers and unlock work.
In addition, consulting on the future of the Access to Work scheme so that it better helps people to start and stay in work through reasonable adjustments, such as aids, appliances and making use of assistive technology
The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) provides a legal framework to protect disabled people against unlawful direct or indirect discrimination in employment by placing a duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments to any element of a job, job application or interview process, which may place disabled people at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people. The failure of an employer to make reasonable adjustments for a disabled employee or job seeker or discounting a job application simply because the applicant is disabled could amount to direct disability discrimination under the Act.