Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to (a) improve the Child Maintenance Service and (b) ensure that payments are made.

The Government’s aim is for the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to remove the direct pay service in order to tackle non-compliance more quickly. This change will be made when Parliamentary time allows. Moving to a single, strengthened Collect and Pay system will allow the CMS to monitor all payments, identify missed or partial payments immediately, and take faster enforcement action. Ahead of this change, the CMS is already moving noncompliant parents more quickly from Direct Pay to Collect and Pay.

Where compliance cannot be achieved, the CMS has a range of strong enforcement powers that are designed to get money flowing quickly, prevent the build-up of arrears and ensure children get the financial support they deserve.  These powers include the ability to deduct directly from the paying parent’s earnings or bank accounts and disqualifications from holding or obtaining driving licenses and passports.

To further improve arrears collection, the CMS will introduce administrative liability orders (ALOs) to replace the current court based process. This will streamline enforcement, reduce delays, and help the CMS act more quickly against parents who avoid their responsibilities. Work with HM Courts and Tribunals Service and the Scottish Government is underway, and regulations will be brought to Parliament as soon as possible.