Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department has taken to help prevent receiving parents from limiting access of children to those parents paying child maintenance in order to receive higher payments.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) operates on the principle that a child's welfare is best served by the continued involvement of each parent in their life, provided that involvement is safe and meets the needs of the child. It is aware that paying parents can face difficulties when attempting to spend meaningful time with their child following separation. Issues relating to access and contact are managed by family courts.

The aim of the child maintenance shared care regime is to try and reflect, as far as possible, the actual patterns of care taking place between parents, and the financial consequences of that for the costs of the child. It does not dictate what should happen or require any particular conduct from parents – except that they are truthful in reporting what happens between them in respect of care. Where parents do not tell the truth, the CMS has powers to investigate if fraud is suspected.

Reductions can be made for the extra cost of care where it is shared by the paying parent. The paying parent must have overnight care of any qualifying children for at least 52 nights a year, equivalent of 1 night per week. The amount payable is reduced by a maximum of fifty per cent within bands based on the number of nights overnight care is provided over a 12-month period. The bands are used to give greater stability to maintenance payments and as a result there is greater reliability of payments, which contributes towards the welfare of the children in the case.

Where a dispute does arise, the CMS will seek to collect evidence from parents, for example a Court ordered arrangement, to establish the correct figure.

The evidence acceptable in these circumstances is

• a current court order providing for contact between the paying parent and the child
• a formal written agreement, for example drawn up by a solicitor, or
• another official document for example, Social Services or Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) reports.