Written Question·Department for Work and Pensions·UIN 89039

Children: Maintenance

Tabled: 10 November 2025
Answered: 17 November 2025

Question

Luke Akehurst

LabourNorth Durham

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to improve transparency in Child Maintenance Service (a) calculations and (b) deductions (i) in general and (ii) where deductions from earnings orders are applied.

Answer

Andrew Western
The Child Maintenance calculation is based on the paying parent’s gross income, verified through HMRC data. To improve transparency, the CMS has enhanced data sharing with HMRC to ensure accurate income assessments, including unearned income such as divid...

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