Change CMS Child Maintenance Calculations to Be Based on Net Pay, Not Gross Pay

Background

A formal government review into the fairness and accuracy of CMS calculations and to review and reform the way the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) calculates maintenance payments.

Additional details

CMS bases assessments on a paying parent’s GROSS income, without taking into account the significant deductions that are made before a person actually receives their take-home pay such as Income Tax & NI. This creates financial burden that's unfairly disproportionate for parents already struggling with the rising cost of living. Parents pay thousands of pounds a year in tax and National Insurance – money that is never physically seen. It is unjust to base child maintenance on the pre-tax figure.