Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the affordability of the child support system for people who are self-employed.

Even after parents have separated they continue to have financial responsibility for their children. We believe that the calculation for Child Maintenance is reasonable and proportionate, being based on the level of the non-resident parent’s income, regardless of whether they are employed or self-employed.

The formula for the Child Maintenance Calculation is based primarily on the non-resident parent’s gross taxable income, where possible using information derived from HMRC. The level of the calculation is intended to be an approximation of what the non-resident parent would spend if the child lived with them.