Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department takes to ensure that, where the Child Maintenance Service upholds a complaint relating to poor communication or inaccurate recording of customer enquiries, (a) specific corrective actions are identified, (b) changes to procedures or staff training are implemented where appropriate, and (c) complainants are informed of the measures taken to prevent similar failures from recurring.

The Department is committed to providing a high-quality service and takes complaints seriously as an important source of customer feedback and organisational learning. The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) reviews upheld complaints to determine whether any corrective action is required and to ensure that individual issues are appropriately addressed. Complainants receive a full response explaining the outcome of their complaint and, where service failings are identified, an explanation of the action taken to remedy those failings, together with an apology and, where appropriate, a consolatory payment.

Learning from complaints, including findings from the Independent Case Examiner (ICE) and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), is used to inform improvements to guidance, processes, customer communications, and staff training. Complaint trends are monitored alongside wider assurance, customer insight, and performance data to identify opportunities for service improvement and support CMS's commitment to continuous improvement.