Commons Sense

House of Commons · Adjournment Debate

Child Maintenance Service 2025-02-26

26 February 2025 · 7 other contributors

Opened by Ian Sollom LD St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire

Children & Families

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Ian Sollom raised concerns about child maintenance service 2025-02-26 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about the Child Maintenance Service failing thousands of families in the UK.
  • Government statistics show 31% of paying parents made no maintenance payments, and 12% paid less than 60% of what they owed.
  • Minister acknowledged the importance of tackling child poverty and announced plans to triple investment in breakfast clubs to over 30 million.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Ian Sollom LD St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire

This evening I want to address a system that is failing thousands of families across our country: the Child Maintenance Service. In doing so, I hope that this House will send a clear message to every parent struggling with that system and every affected young person that their MPs are listening and that we are determined to act... The Government’s own child maintenance statistics paint a damning picture: 31% of all paying parents made no maintenance payments whatsoever, and a further 12% paid less than 60% of what they owed. Those are not just statistics; they represent thousands upon thousands of children going without.

Other contributors (7)
  • Sarah Russell Lab Congleton

    Does he agree that we need more enforcement, more accurate assessment of non-resident parent income, and better joined-up working between HMRC and the DWP?

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Hon. Members can see that I have no hair, and one reasons for that is that I find this matter incredibly stressful... Single-parent families are struggling.

  • Josh Fenton-Glynn Lab Calder Valley

    The recent excellent report from Gingerbread on fixing the CMS noted that where child maintenance is paid, child poverty is 25% lower in those families... Does he agree that Gingerbread’s work is absolutely vital?

  • Josh Fenton-Glynn Con

    Emphasised the importance of addressing post-separation abuse and financial issues highlighted by Gingerbread.

  • Andrew Western

    Acknowledged the complexity of dealing with vulnerable children and families, highlighting specific examples of financial abuse facilitated through direct pay arrangements.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Expressed frustration over inconsistent communication from CMS to constituents, suggesting a need for named caseworkers.

  • Adam Jogee Lab Newcastle-under-Lyme

    Asked the Minister to meet and discuss specific examples of failures faced by his constituents regarding equality and safety issues.

Government Response

Andrew Western

Let me begin by congratulating the hon. Member for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire on securing this debate, which is incredibly important to him and his constituents... Far too many children are growing up in poverty. A key priority for this Labour Government is to reduce that number as soon as possible... Tackling child poverty is an urgent priority for the Government, which is why we have already announced our commitment to triple investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million, to roll out free breakfast clubs at all primary schools, to create 3,000 additional nurseries and to increase the national living wage to £12.21 an hour from April to boost the pay of 3 million workers, many of them parents... The ministerial child poverty taskforce is working to publish a child poverty strategy later this year, which will deliver lasting change. We are committed to improving the CMS. The Government extended a consultation on direct pay reforms, gathering extensive feedback from stakeholders. Specific focus is given to domestic abuse, financial abuse, and supporting vulnerable families. We acknowledge the need for more tailored support and training for frontline staff to identify and respond appropriately to domestic abuse cases. Plans include assigning named caseworkers for victims of domestic abuse to prevent re-telling their stories at each interaction. Regarding child maintenance calculation reforms, we are conducting a review to improve simplicity while ensuring compliance. The £20 application fee was removed in 2024. We aim to change the process to allow direct deductions more swiftly where issues emerge. In 2023-24, the CMS collected £16.8 million from non-compliant paying parents through civil enforcement actions. Improvements are being made to customer experience and digital services to provide choice in interaction methods while ensuring no customer is excluded. The Department recognises the impatience for change but emphasises that getting the right solutions will take time.

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