Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to the emails of 18th May, 8th June, 24th June and 19th August on the Child Maintenance Service, case reference OG13220, from the hon. Member for Didcot and Wantage.

The Department recognises that response times to hon. Members’ enquiries on behalf of constituents have not been consistently adequate in recent months, as higher complaint volumes and increasingly complex cases have affected our response times. The Department is actively addressing these pressures and driving improvements in both timeliness and efficiency.

The Department is taking urgent action to improve complaint handling and response times, with a clear focus on resolving issues as quickly as possible, including at the earliest point of contact where appropriate.

To support this, we have deployed additional resources to complaints and correspondence teams and prioritised activity to strengthen performance monitoring and improve timeliness. We have introduced enhanced senior oversight and improved case management processes to support faster, more consistent responses.

Where a complaint requires formal investigation, the Department’s service standard aims to provide a full response within 15 working days. More complex cases may take longer; however, the Department seeks to keep customers informed of progress and expected timescales. CMS continues to investigate the case, and an update was provided to the hon. Member on 1 September 2026 outlining the current position.

The Department is clear that hon. Members must be able to rely on timely and accurate information when representing their constituents. Improving response times remains a key operational priority, and these measures are intended to deliver a more timely and efficient service for customers and hon. Members alike.