Child Maintenance Service: Standards

Department for Work and Pensions written question – answered at on 8 September 2020.

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Photo of Richard Fuller Richard Fuller Conservative, North East Bedfordshire

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she will take to improve the ability of the Child Maintenance Service to scrutinise effectively new claims of hardship from a paying parent who has previously been proven by the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) to falsify their financial records.

Photo of Mims Davies Mims Davies The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Maintenance liabilities broadly continue to be based on the NRP’s historic income; this is largely gross annual income information provided by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for the latest available tax year. This will enable calculations to be made more quickly minimising opportunity for inaccuracies.

The scheme is designed so that liabilities remain consistent over the year, with limited changes. The calculation is reviewed annually, and generally only changes during the year if a parents’ income increases or decreases by at least 25%. This threshold ensures calculations are relative stable for both the paying parent and receiving parent, so both parents know what to expect in terms of payments.

The Department recognises that some parents have more control over providing false income records which we use to calculate maintenance. In the first instance, we are working more closely with HMRC and making changes to prevent fraudulent behaviour. The CMS recently introduced changes to improve channels of communication between the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) who investigate cases with complex earnings queries and HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service (FIS).

Where an NRP’s gross income has been disputed, the Child Maintenance Group (CMG) can request a breakdown of the income figure provided by HMRC.

Those found to be abusing the system at this difficult time are subject to the full extent of our enforcement powers and the Child Maintenance Service will pursue these, where appropriate. The department remains committed to an effective child maintenance scheme that ensures all parents contribute financially for their children.

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