Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the Child Maintenance Service being used as a means of economic abuse.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) takes domestic abuse, including economic abuse, seriously and is committed to helping victims and survivors use the service safely. Caseworkers are trained to recognise domestic abuse, including coercive and financial control, and signpost parents to appropriate support. This training is reviewed every six months, with the CMS working with external organisations to ensure it remains effective and up to date.

The Government plans to reform child maintenance by removing Direct Pay and moving to a single service where the CMS monitors and transfers all payments. This will reduce opportunities for child maintenance payments to be used as a means of economic abuse, reduce the need for direct contact between parents, and enable the CMS to identify non-compliance and intervene more quickly when payments break down.

Ahead of these reforms, the CMS is making it easier for parents to move from Direct Pay to Collect and Pay, improving information about available support, and working with stakeholders to identify further support for victims and survivors throughout their CMS journey.