House of Commons · Written Ministerial Statement
Child Maintenance: Improving the Collection and Transfer of Payments - Public Consultation
08 May 2024 · Department for Work and Pensions
Proposed by Mel Stride Con Central Devon
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
At a glance
Key points
- The Government is conducting a public consultation on improving the collection and transfer of child maintenance payments.
- The proposed reforms may involve removing the direct pay service and managing all cases through a streamlined service.
- The consultation aims to address non-compliance issues and provide better protection for victims of domestic abuse.
Issue summary
The statement discusses a public consultation on improving the collection and transfer of child maintenance payments to support separated families.
Action requested
The Government proposes exploring wide-ranging reforms, including potentially removing the direct pay service and managing all cases through a streamlined service. This aims to address non-compliance issues, provide better protection for victims of domestic abuse, and ease family-based arrangements. The consultation document will be placed in the House Library.
Key facts
- Families receiving child maintenance payments received £2.8 billion annually between 2021 and 2023.
- Around 160,000 children are kept out of poverty each year due to these payments.
- The direct pay service is identified as not achieving its objective of encouraging family-based arrangements.
- Hidden non-compliant cases on direct pay result in delays and arrears build-up.
- The Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Act received Royal Assent in June 2023.