Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness in preventing fraudulent samples being provided of the DNA testing used by the Child Maintenance Service.

The Child Maintenance Service DNA testing process requires the person attending the DNA sampling to provide photographic evidence and the DNA test sampler to verify that the person attending is the person in the photo. The photos are retained in case of future challenge.

If a negative DNA test result is challenged, it is referred to the Financial Investigation Unit’s Criminal Division for investigation.

Those found to be abusing the system are subject to the full extent of our enforcement powers and the Child Maintenance Service will pursue these, where appropriate.