Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 ensure (a) transparency and (b) accountability in the administration of child maintenance services.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department is committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in the administration of the Child Maintenance Service (CMS).
The Child Maintenance Decision Makers’ Guide is published on GOV.UK and provides transparency around CMS policy and guidance for both caseworkers and customers. This guidance is used alongside the Child Support Act 1991 and associated regulations, ensuring that all decisions comply with DWP policy and statutory requirements.
In addition, CMS issues operational instructions that support caseworkers in their day-to-day decision-making and promote the consistent and uniform application of rules.
The Department also publishes quarterly CMS statistics, with the most recent release covering data up to December 2025. These are supported by detailed breakdowns on Stat‑Xplore and a suite of tables within the national statistics.
Accountability is strengthened through independent external audits through National Audit Office and Government Internal Audit Agency.
External Audit reports are prepared every year and are included in the annual accounts: CMS Client Funds Accounts, providing assurance over the management of funds and enabling parliamentary and public scrutiny. For the year 25/26, going forward, Client Funds Accounts will be removed, and reporting of CMS funds will be included in the DWP Annual Report and Accounts.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of removing the 4% collection fees for receiving parents using the child maintenance service.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Following a public consultation on wider reforms to consolidate the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) into a single service type where the CMS collects and transfers payments, the Government published its response setting out plans to reform the CMS. This includes plans to reduce fees to 2% for both receiving parents and compliant paying parents, maintaining the 20% rate for non-compliant paying parents on top of their calculated maintenance amount.
The reformed service is expected to improve CMS’s ability to re-establish compliance more efficiently when payments break down. Retaining fees at this substantially reduced level will balance the interests of customers with the need to offset the cost of the service and provide the investment needed to make the reforms, reducing the burden on the taxpayer.
Our intention is to implement these changes as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to Motability mileage allowances on disabled people living in rural areas.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors.
The changes to the leasing package were announced on 26 March and include reducing the mileage allowance from 20,000 per year to 10,000 per year. Changes only apply to new leases and there are no changes to the mileage allowance of existing leases. Motability Foundation have advised that approximately 75% of customers on the Scheme already use less miles than the proposed new mileage allowance. They have acknowledged that there will be an impact on some customers and are considering if the impact can be mitigated in some limited circumstances.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the consultation undertaken on proposed changes to Motability mileage allowances.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors.
The changes to the leasing package were announced on 26 March and include reducing the mileage allowance from 20,000 per year to 10,000 per year. Changes only apply to new leases and there are no changes to the mileage allowance of existing leases. Motability Foundation have advised that approximately 75% of customers on the Scheme already use less miles than the proposed new mileage allowance. They have acknowledged that there will be an impact on some customers and are considering if the impact can be mitigated in some limited circumstances.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, has the department reviewed the impact on disabled people when changing the mileage allowance from 20,000 miles to 10,000 miles in the Motability Scheme.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors.
The changes to the leasing package were announced on 26 March and include reducing the mileage allowance from 20,000 per year to 10,000 per year. Changes only apply to new leases and there are no changes to the mileage allowance of existing leases. Motability Foundation have advised that approximately 75% of customers on the Scheme already use less miles than the proposed new mileage allowance. They have acknowledged that there will be an impact on some customers and are considering if the impact can be mitigated in some limited circumstances.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the accuracy of the payment calculation approach used by the Child Maintenance Service.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department of Work and Pensions assures the accuracy of Child Maintenance payment calculations. As part of its Quality Framework, the measurement carried out by the Department is then independently assured by the National Audit Office.
Information on calculation accuracy is published annually in the Child Maintenance Service Client Funds Accounts, which show that since 2020 the CMS has consistently achieved an assessment accuracy rate exceeding the benchmark of 99%.
Around 90 per cent of Child Maintenance calculations are based on verified HMRC earnings data and DWP benefit records, reducing the risk of income mis‑declaration, supporting timely and reliable assessments. Calculations use the most recent HMRC tax year available, are automatically reviewed annually, and may be reassessed at any time where income changes by 25 per cent or more. Statutory rates reflect income, number of children and shared care arrangements, with a flat rate protecting those on the lowest incomes.
The Department regularly review the calculation methodology to ensure it remains fair, accurate and supports compliance.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is currently taking to improve the training of staff and quality of service for users of the child maintenance service.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to improving customer experience and are taking significant steps to enhance service quality for customers.
All CMS caseworkers receive extensive technical and soft skills training to ensure they are fully equipped to meet the needs of customers. We are investing in developing, reviewing, and improving new entrant and caseworker training materials and delivery across CMS in order to ensure greater consistency in customer interactions. Our transformed caseworker Smart Instructions ensure guidance is clearer, easier to follow, and more consistent, enabling caseworkers to access up to date instructions more quickly and reliably during customer interactions.
CMS proactively use quality assurance checks, call listening, customer insight from complaints and feedback to identify where caseworkers may need additional coaching or support to deliver a consistent and confident telephony service.
Through our Service Modernisation Programme, we are expanding digital channels and self-service options providing greater choice and flexibility and a faster and more responsive service to our customers. We have enhanced customer communications by increasing the use of SMS text and email and simplifying letters to make them clearer and easier to understand. Our online service My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC), allows parents to access advice and manage their case 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the child maintenance service a) minimises and mitigates administrative or otherwise errors and b) that parents using the child maintenance service are not incorrectly moved onto a non-enforced payment method despite a history of missed payments.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) has a range of controls in place to minimise administrative and other errors.
CMS uses verified income information from HM Revenue and Customs and other government systems and applies statutory calculation rules in assessing maintenance liabilities. Caseworkers are supported by detailed operational instructions, the Child Maintenance Decision Makers’ Guide, and child maintenance legislation to ensure decisions are made accurately and consistently. Quality assurance activity is used to identify, mitigate, and address errors, including through case sampling, call listening, and management oversight.
Decisions on whether a case is managed under a non‑enforced or enforced payment method are based on an assessment of a paying parent’s payment history, likelihood of compliance in line with policy guidance and statutory regulations. Caseworkers are required to record decision making for changes in payment method, and these decisions are subject to team leader and quality assurance checks as part of the Department’s Quality Assurance Framework.
Parents are provided with written explanations of calculations and decisions and have access to mandatory reconsideration and independent appeal routes where they believe a decision is incorrect.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
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 potential impact of mileage restrictions applied to Motability scheme vehicles on disabled people and families living in semi‑rural and rural areas, particularly those reliant on their vehicle to travel longer distances to work, education settings and schools, healthcare appointments and other essential services; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that such restrictions do not create geographic inequality for disabled people.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors.
The changes to the leasing package were announced on 26 March and include reducing the mileage allowance from 20,000 per year to 10,000 per year. Changes only apply to new leases and there are no changes to the mileage allowance of existing leases. Motability Foundation have advised that approximately 75% of customers on the Scheme already use less miles than the proposed new mileage allowance. They have acknowledged that there will be an impact on some customers and are considering if the impact can be mitigated in some limited circumstances.
Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many young people aged 16-24 are claiming the Universal Credit health element while in full-time non-advanced education under Universal Credit rules.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.