Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the seven-day deadline for providing information in support of a Child Maintenance Service mandatory reconsideration request, including for working parents and those with caring responsibilities to obtain and submit relevant documentation.

If a parent feels that a child maintenance calculation decision is incorrect, they can ask the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to look at the decision again. This is known as a Mandatory Reconsideration. If they remain dissatisfied following the Mandatory Reconsideration, they can appeal to an independent tribunal.

The Department keeps its processes under review to ensure they are fair and accessible. While parents are asked to provide information promptly, the CMS will take account of individual circumstances, including where there may be difficulties in obtaining evidence within set timescales.

Decisions subject to Mandatory Reconsideration include cases where a change was declined or rejected because supporting evidence was not received within the initial 14-day period, but where that evidence is subsequently received within the permitted timeframe. This timeframe is 30 days from the date of the decision, plus an additional two days to allow for posting.