Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what provisions the Child Maintenance Service has put in place to help parents paying child maintenance whose wages have decreased as a result of the covid-19 outbreak and who have to make late or reduced payments.

The Government has been clear in its commitment to support paying parents who have experienced a drop in income as a result of the public health emergency. Where paying parents experience a change in income, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) can review their case and check if the amount paid should change. For paying parents who are experiencing financial difficulties as a result of COVID-19, the time period over which that change in income is assessed has been reduced from 12 to 2 weeks. In the short-term, paying parents may be advised to reduce their payments.

We know the majority of parents take their responsibilities extremely seriously and will do what is needed to ensure their children are supported.