Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service's use of its enforcement powers in recovering unpaid child maintenance; and what steps he is taking to ensure that parents with substantial arrears cannot avoid payment for prolonged periods without meaningful enforcement action.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) operates on the principle that both parents have a financial responsibility towards their children. The Department keeps the operation of the CMS under review, including its charging arrangements and enforcement processes.

Collection fees were introduced to encourage compliance and contribute towards the cost of operating the service. The Government has consulted on reforms that would remove Direct Pay and introduce a revised charging structure, including lower fees (2%) for compliant parents while retaining higher charges (20%) for non-compliance. Alongside these reforms, we are improving support for Family-Based Arrangements so that parents for whom a private arrangement works well can manage maintenance outside the statutory scheme, helping to ensure that fees are only paid by those families who need the CMS's ongoing support

The CMS has a broad range of enforcement powers, including deductions from earnings and bank accounts, the use of enforcement agents, charging orders, passport and driving licence disqualification, and commitment to prison. In the year ending March 2026, the CMS collected £231 million through enforcement action, the highest amount collected through its enforcement powers.

Where a parent fails to pay, the CMS will take action to re-establish compliance and recover arrears, using the enforcement power most likely to secure money for children. The Government is also introducing Administrative Liability Orders, which will streamline the enforcement process and enable faster action against non-compliant parents.

The Child Maintenance Service takes account of a paying parent's financial position when setting arrears repayment arrangements. Whilst the aim must be to get on-going maintenance payments flowing and to recover arrears as quickly and reliably as possible, consideration is given to individual financial circumstances to ensure repayment rates are appropriate.