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 effect of the offsetting of personal pension payments against child maintenance payments on families in receipt of such maintenance payments.

Enabling people to have security in retirement is an important part of our pension policy. In recognition of this, contributions to an occupational or personal pension are deducted from gross income when calculating a child maintenance liability.

Where a parent believes the other parent in their case has deliberately made excessive contributions towards a private or occupational pension to reduce the level of their income on which they are assessed for maintenance, the maintenance liability may be reconsidered.