Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Child Maintenance Service is taking to support paying parents with intermittent long-term disabilities.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to ensuring it delivers a safe service which is sensitive to the needs of all customers that use it.

In line with the Equality Act 2010, DWP staff from all areas of the department have a legal duty to make sure every customer can access our services. This means ensuring they have access to the appropriate channel of communication to suit their needs. The CMS completes Equality Impact Assessments on all changes which covers all protected characteristics.

Through the Service Modernisation Programme, we are ensuring customers have a greater choice of how they communicate with us and access our service. The CMS has made significant improvements to customer communications, through more use of SMS text and email, and a full review of its letters making them easier for customer to understand. The online digital service 'Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance ' through GOV.UK is open to any parent who needs unbiased advice and support to make an arrangement. My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC) offers customers the ability to update their information and request changes, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Although online communication is the preferred option CMS fully recognise digital is not suitable for all customers. For those customers who have to contact us by telephone steps have been taken to update the service through efficient call routing. We have freed up resources to deliver a more responsive service which allows caseworkers more time to better assist customers who need to reach out to us via telephone. The CMS telephony opening hours are regularly reviewed based on the demand requirements, CMS have extended their telephony service to 6pm on weekdays to meet this demand.

The Customer Experience Strategy equips caseworkers with the tools, skills and support to respond quickly and effectively if we become aware the mental health and wellbeing of any customer is at risk. Caseworkers have received extensive training and follow a well-managed process with clear steps, support tools and procedures to support vulnerable customers. This includes the National District Provision Toolkit and Affordability Hub which provides invaluable information to allow caseworkers to signpost to national and local support organisations for debt help and mental health assistance across the UK.

The maintenance calculation is designed to be affordable for paying parents and is based on their personal income. It uses income information from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to quickly set up new cases and allows us to capture a wide range of income types, including income from property, savings and investments (including dividends) and other miscellaneous income. A flat rate of £7.00 per week protects those paying parents on the lowest incomes, for example, those claiming disability benefits. We also take into account if there is a 25% different than the income figure held, the assessment can be updated to reflect the paying parents most up to date income information.