Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the expected response time from the Child Maintenance Service to enquiry from an hon. Member of 15 working days includes the quality assurance process.

When responding to members of parliament, as part of the DWP’s complaint process, we always aim to make a full response within 15 days. This is a target on which the department is measured and includes the response being quality assured. Where a full response cannot be made with in 15 days, we have agreed to contact the MP or the customer to let them know and to arrange / agree a date when the full response will be made. Again, any agreed date will include the response being quality assured. The 15 day timescale and the above process, is applicable to all departments of DWP and forms part of the tiered complaints process.