Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has set performance targets for the Child Maintenance Service on (a) time to initial calculation, (b) time to enforcement following non payment, and (c) customer satisfaction.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) aims to complete 80 percent of initial maintenance calculations within six weeks The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) and the latest statistics are currently available to June 2025. Table 1 of the latest National tables includes information on the total number of applications received by CMS for each quarter and the percentage cleared within 6 weeks and 12 weeks, from quarter ending June 2024 to quarter ending June 2025
The main causes of delay in completing maintenance calculations include parent disputes, where we need to trace and verify the paying parent’s identity or location and when income investigation and verification is required
We continue to mitigate these factors through income verification from HMRC or benefits systems, quality assurance controls, and responsive resourcing to meet service-level targets.
The CMS is committed to making the most effective use of its strong enforcement powers, and we have made a number of improvements to its processes to drive case compliance and challenge non-compliant behaviours, but we do not currently have performance targets on the time to enforcement following non-payment.
We are dedicated to using enforcement powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families, but the specific actions taken following non-payment, and associated timescales will vary depending on the circumstances of a case.
CMS monitors customer experience and satisfaction as part of its regular operational rhythm, however, we do not currently have customer satisfaction performance targets for CMS, but work is ongoing to develop benchmarks against which we can measure performance.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken is for initial maintenance calculations; and what the main causes of delay in making those calculations are.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) aims to complete 80 percent of initial maintenance calculations within six weeks The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) and the latest statistics are currently available to June 2025. Table 1 of the latest National tables includes information on the total number of applications received by CMS for each quarter and the percentage cleared within 6 weeks and 12 weeks, from quarter ending June 2024 to quarter ending June 2025
The main causes of delay in completing maintenance calculations include parent disputes, where we need to trace and verify the paying parent’s identity or location and when income investigation and verification is required
We continue to mitigate these factors through income verification from HMRC or benefits systems, quality assurance controls, and responsive resourcing to meet service-level targets.
The CMS is committed to making the most effective use of its strong enforcement powers, and we have made a number of improvements to its processes to drive case compliance and challenge non-compliant behaviours, but we do not currently have performance targets on the time to enforcement following non-payment.
We are dedicated to using enforcement powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families, but the specific actions taken following non-payment, and associated timescales will vary depending on the circumstances of a case.
CMS monitors customer experience and satisfaction as part of its regular operational rhythm, however, we do not currently have customer satisfaction performance targets for CMS, but work is ongoing to develop benchmarks against which we can measure performance.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Child Maintenance Service cases in each of the last five years the Independent Case Examiner identified maladministration; and what common failings were identified.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Where the Independent Case Examiner identifies maladministration in cases it investigates, an upheld finding will be reached. Such findings are either upheld, whereby the complaint is fully accepted and evidence supports the complaint, or partially upheld whereby some, but not all, of the issues raised in the complaint have merit.
The data in the table below provides a combined total of upheld and partially upheld outcomes in the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) cases the Independent Case Examiner considered over the last five full reporting years.
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | Total |
Upheld / partially upheld outcomes | 208 | 313 | 311 | 474 | 459 | 1765 |
Joanna Wallace, the Independent Case Examiner, provided written evidence to the House of Lords Public Services Committee Child Maintenance Inquiry 2025, in which she commented on emergent themes or common issues seen in CMS complaints.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Child Maintenance Service calculations were revised following (a) Mandatory Reconsideration and (b) appeal in each of the last five years; and what the total value of revised liabilities was in each year.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) is the process where a parent asks the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to review a decision before appealing to His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service. It can be requested at any stage of a case or after an unsuccessful application. If CMS finds the original decision incorrect or receives new information, the decision may be revised.
The CMS is committed to ensuring decisions are timely, accurate, fair, and based on all relevant information provided by parents.
The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) and the latest statistics are currently available to June 2025.
Table 9 of the latest National tables includes information on the total number of mandatory reconsideration requests received by the CMS and the outcomes occurring each quarter, and the number and percentage cleared within 28 days of receipt, from quarter ending June 2015 to quarter ending June 2025.
Table 10 of the latest National tables includes information on the total number of appeals made by parents to His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service to review a decision made by the CMS each quarter, from quarter ending June 2015 to quarter ending June 2025.
The information requested on the average time it takes the Child Maintenance Service to review these requests and, total value of revised liabilities, is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) mandatory reconsiderations and (b) appeals have been requested in each of the last five years; and what is the average time it takes the Child Maintenance Service to review these requests.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) is the process where a parent asks the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to review a decision before appealing to His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service. It can be requested at any stage of a case or after an unsuccessful application. If CMS finds the original decision incorrect or receives new information, the decision may be revised.
The CMS is committed to ensuring decisions are timely, accurate, fair, and based on all relevant information provided by parents.
The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) and the latest statistics are currently available to June 2025.
Table 9 of the latest National tables includes information on the total number of mandatory reconsideration requests received by the CMS and the outcomes occurring each quarter, and the number and percentage cleared within 28 days of receipt, from quarter ending June 2015 to quarter ending June 2025.
Table 10 of the latest National tables includes information on the total number of appeals made by parents to His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service to review a decision made by the CMS each quarter, from quarter ending June 2015 to quarter ending June 2025.
The information requested on the average time it takes the Child Maintenance Service to review these requests and, total value of revised liabilities, is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints about the Child Maintenance Service were received in each of the last five years, and how many were (a) upheld, (b) partly upheld and (c) not upheld.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department regularly publishes Child Maintenance Service official statistics. The complaints received for quarter ending June 2015 to quarter ending June 2025 are available in Table 11 of the accompanying National tables.
A new publication containing data on DWP complaints received and their outcomes, including those within the Child Maintenance Service, is due to be published on 16 December 2025. Data within this publication will cover the period quarter ending September 2020 to quarter ending September 2025.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many new (a) permanent and (b) fixed-term teachers have been appointed since 1 January 2025.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Information on the school workforce, including the number of teachers in state-funded schools, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england/2024.
41,736 qualified teachers joined state-funded schools in England for the 2024/25 academic year, the latest date for which data is available: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/3d4415a2-a099-427d-d209-08de2129b4fd. This has been available since 5 June 2025.
School workforce statistics for the 2025/26 academic year will be published in summer 2026.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what correspondence she has had with (a) primary and (b) secondary schools to evaluate the impact of pupil transfers on (i) admissions, (ii) SEND provisions for existing students and (iii) SEND provisions for new students since 1 January 2025.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
HM Treasury published a tax information and impact note (TIIN) on applying VAT to independent school fees, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/applying-vat-to-private-school-fees#who-is-likely-to-be-affected. The note contains information on the impacts on individuals and families, and the government’s estimates of the number of pupils expected to enter the state sector as a result of this policy. The government does not collect pupil-level data from private schools and therefore cannot track pupil movements out of private schools into the state sector. Latest published figures confirm that pupil numbers remain within historical patterns seen for over 20 years, with no evidence of excessive pressure on the state system. The department works with local authorities to help them fulfil their duty to secure school places, including for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
The reforms to VAT and business rates, ending the exemptions which private schools previously enjoyed, are expected to raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029/30. This measure will raise essential revenue that will be invested in our public services, such as our £3.7 billion increase to school funding in 2025/26, taking core school funding to £65.3 billion compared to £61.6 billion in 2024/25.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much revenue has been raised by the introduction of VAT on schools; and how much has been spent on student transfers from public to state schools in the same period.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
HM Treasury published a tax information and impact note (TIIN) on applying VAT to independent school fees, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/applying-vat-to-private-school-fees#who-is-likely-to-be-affected. The note contains information on the impacts on individuals and families, and the government’s estimates of the number of pupils expected to enter the state sector as a result of this policy. The government does not collect pupil-level data from private schools and therefore cannot track pupil movements out of private schools into the state sector. Latest published figures confirm that pupil numbers remain within historical patterns seen for over 20 years, with no evidence of excessive pressure on the state system. The department works with local authorities to help them fulfil their duty to secure school places, including for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
The reforms to VAT and business rates, ending the exemptions which private schools previously enjoyed, are expected to raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029/30. This measure will raise essential revenue that will be invested in our public services, such as our £3.7 billion increase to school funding in 2025/26, taking core school funding to £65.3 billion compared to £61.6 billion in 2024/25.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to support Kent County Council with levels of admissions following the introduction of VAT on private schools.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
HM Treasury published a tax information and impact note (TIIN) on applying VAT to independent school fees, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/applying-vat-to-private-school-fees#who-is-likely-to-be-affected. The note contains information on the impacts on individuals and families, and the government’s estimates of the number of pupils expected to enter the state sector as a result of this policy. The government does not collect pupil-level data from private schools and therefore cannot track pupil movements out of private schools into the state sector. Latest published figures confirm that pupil numbers remain within historical patterns seen for over 20 years, with no evidence of excessive pressure on the state system. The department works with local authorities to help them fulfil their duty to secure school places, including for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
The reforms to VAT and business rates, ending the exemptions which private schools previously enjoyed, are expected to raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029/30. This measure will raise essential revenue that will be invested in our public services, such as our £3.7 billion increase to school funding in 2025/26, taking core school funding to £65.3 billion compared to £61.6 billion in 2024/25.