Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has she made of the potential merits of (a) removing or (b) reducing the 25 per cent threshold for in-year reviews for child maintenance payments that would allow the paying parent to request a review as soon as changes in their income make the existing level of payment unaffordable.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) keeps all policies and procedures under review. However, it remains the case that the 25 per cent threshold ensures that both parents can continue to budget with certainty, and therefore provide ongoing certainty for the child. Most people's income does not change to this degree over the course of one year. It also ensures that minor changes in income do not interfere with the efficiency of the child maintenance system, increasing costs for the taxpayer. A change will not be considered unless it breaches the 25 per cent threshold.