Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Child Maintenance Service

Monday 27 April 2026 · 6 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The CMS publishes metrics showing that 96% of applications were cleared within 12 weeks and 83% of changes of circumstances were cleared within 28 days in the quarter ending September 2025.
  • Shared care evidence application by the CMS is often disputed and contested, leading to delays and financial hardship for constituents.
  • The Child Maintenance Service faces widespread complaints about poor customer service and effectiveness, impacting constituents' lives negatively.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Iqbal Mohamed Ind Dewsbury and Batley
Children & Families
Context

The MP is concerned about the Child Maintenance Service's efficiency in resolving cases promptly.

Question

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service in resolving cases in a timely manner. The CMS publishes several metrics regarding how quickly it responds to parents. In the quarter ending September 2025, on average, 96% of applications were cleared within 12 weeks and 83% of changes of circumstances were cleared within 28 days.

Answer from Andrew Western

The CMS publishes several metrics regarding how quickly it responds to parents. In the quarter ending September 2025, on average, 96% of applications were cleared within 12 weeks and 83% of changes of circumstances were cleared within 28 days.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Iqbal Mohamed Ind Dewsbury and Batley
NHS
Context

The MP is concerned about constituents facing financial liability due to disputes over shared care applications.

Question

How does the Department ensure that evidence of shared care is applied consistently, fairly and speedily by the CMS? What support is available to constituents who face continued financial liability and hardship while they wait for delays in CMS decisions or tribunal outcomes to be resolved?

Answer from Andrew Western

Shared care can be incredibly contested, and questions about the suitability of evidence and which evidence takes precedent are often disputed. The hon. Member suggests that he has particular cases that he would like the Department to take a look into. If he writes to me with them, the responsible Minister, my noble Friend Baroness Sherlock, or I will provide a response.

Not addressed: The specific questions about consistent application of shared care evidence and support for constituents facing hardship due to delays were not addressed.

How: Suggests Writing To The Department With Particular Cases

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q3 Luke Charters Lab York Outer
Employment
Context

The MP is concerned about the CMS's poor customer service and its impact on constituents.

Question

What steps can my hon. Friend take to rapidly improve the effectiveness of the CMS? My casework inbox is inundated with complaints about the CMS's poor customer service, which is damaging the lives of dozens of my constituents in the process.

Answer from Andrew Western

My hon. Friend will be pleased to know that there is a significant improvement journey under way in the Child Maintenance Service. I am always keen to point out to Members that while we see a large number of CMS cases in our caseload due to the more adversarial nature of the cases it deals with, it is a fraction of the overall number of cases that the Department deals with. We continue to ensure prompt payments to more than a million children.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps for rapid improvement were not detailed; instead focused on general progress and scale of cases.

How: Keen To Point Out, Fraction Of Overall Number

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q4 Liz Jarvis Lib Dem Eastleigh
Women & Equalities Children & Families
Context

The Child Maintenance Service faces significant delays in processing cases, leading to financial hardship for families. A constituent case exemplifies these issues with payments not being made despite an increase following reconsideration.

Question

My office deals with hundreds of Child Maintenance Service cases. In one case, a mum applied to the CMS in June last year and was initially awarded just over £100. She applied for a mandatory reconsideration and the figure was increased. However, the increased payments have still not been made, and she is experiencing significant financial hardship and stress as a result. Has the Minister considered how failings in the service facilitate post-separation abuse?

Answer from Andrew Western

My noble Friend Baroness Sherlock takes a very keen interest in this issue, in particular how we can look at the abolition of direct pay to subvert some of the instances of financial abuse and coercive control that we continue to see. If the hon. Lady would like to write to me about her specific case, I will ensure she receives a response.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitments on resolving current CMS failures and providing immediate relief for ongoing financial hardship were not addressed.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q5 Catherine Atkinson Lab Derby North
Children & Families
Context

Rebecca, a constituent of Catherine Atkinson, has not received child maintenance for over a decade with arrears exceeding £10,000. Enforcement difficulties arise due to the non-resident parent's fluctuating employment status.

Question

My constituent Rebecca and her now 13-year-old have not received child maintenance for over a decade. Arrears exceed £10,0 £10,000, but because her son's father has moved in and out of employment he has evaded enforcement, even where deduction from earnings orders have been made. I welcome that child maintenance systems are being reformed, but will the Minister tell us what action will be taken so that Rebecca and parents in similar situations across the country get the support they are entitled to?

Answer from Andrew Western

I thank my hon. Friend for her question. I know that she has been representing Rebecca for some time in seeking a resolution to that case. We seek to introduce a range of changes when parliamentary time allows, but clearly there is further work to do to ensure that enforcement processes are also strengthened. Baroness Sherlock would be happy to discuss that with my hon. Friend if she feels that would be appropriate, and I would be happy to facilitate such a meeting.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific actions required for strengthening enforcement were not detailed.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q6 Rebecca Smith Con South West Devon
Children & Families
Context

The Child Maintenance Service is facing systemic issues as reported by constituents, the independent case examiner with a rise in complaints, and reports from Gingerbread and the House of Lords Public Services Committee recommending changes.

Question

The Child Maintenance Service is not working for parents and it is not working for children. My own casework shows that the majority of those getting in touch about the CMS believe it to be ineffective, with systemic issues in communication, timeliness and case handling. The independent case examiner received 1,827 complaints about the CMS in 2024-25, up from 1,519 in 2023-24. In November 2024, Gingerbread published a report 'Fix the CMS'. In October 2025, a House of Lords Public Services Committee report recommended changes to improve the service. The Government have responded to both, but when will the Government enact the changes to bring forward the recommended and acknowledged improvements?

Answer from Andrew Western

As I said in a previous response, we will do so when parliamentary time allows. My noble Friend Baroness Sherlock is also considering a calculation review. There are a range of issues with the CMS that need to be looked at and resolved to ensure that the children in the middle of this get the support to which they are entitled.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific timeline for enacting changes was not provided.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email