Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure that where children or adults are the subject of a Child Maintenance case and registered in full time education, Child Maintenance is only payable if the Child Maintenance Service is satisfied that they are attending and participating in that education.

To qualify for maintenance payments a child must meet the Child Maintenance Service's (CMS) criteria.

A person is considered a child for child maintenance purposes if they are under the age of 16 and habitually resident in the UK or if they are under the age of 20 and are considered a qualifying young person.

A qualifying young person is someone who is aged over 16 but under 20, and in full-time non-advanced education or approved training for at least 12 hours a week or if Child Benefit is payable.

The CMS may amend a calculation if we receive evidence that a child is no longer in full-time non-advanced education or approved training, but we do not measure attendance or participation.