Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) prosecutions for misrepresentation and (b) referrals to HM Revenue and Customs for tax and fraud have occurred in connection with Child Maintenance Support cases since the specialist Financial Investigation Unit was introduced into the 2012 child maintenance scheme.

As at March 2017 we have not yet completed prosecution action on any Child Maintenance Service (CMS) cases for misrepresentation, however there are 678 cases where we have taken formal investigative action to confirm representations of income. Of these we have conducted 10 interviews under caution with a further 25 scheduled, some of which may result in prosecution. Since the Financial Investigation Unit was introduced to the CMS there have been 38 referrals to HM Revenue and Customs where we believe there to be evidence of fraud.