Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Child Maintenance Options 0800 telephone number is now free to all callers; and on what date the free service took effect.

The Child Maintenance Options 0800 telephone number was added to the DWP list of free to call numbers in August 2014. This means calls to Child Maintenance Options from BT landlines and those made by 93 per cent of mobile users, hosted by the six major mobile provider networks, will have the cost of the call met by DWP. Calls from other networks may be free, if they are included within call packages, but this will depend on the network provider. The remaining 7 per cent of calls from mobile users will be able to call the Child Maintenance Options 0800 number free of charge from autumn 2015, which is when the OFCOM ruling requires all network providers to make calls to all 0800 numbers free of charge.

We will also offer to call back a customer, if asked, or if concerns are raised over the cost of the call. Alternatively, customers can also use the online ‘live chat’ facility or email service which is available via the Child Maintenance Options website at www.cmoptions.org.