Written Question·Department for Work and Pensions·UIN 114007

Children: Maintenance

Tabled: 20 February 2026
Answered: 3 March 2026

Question

Olivia Blake

LabourSheffield Hallam

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of requiring lower earning parents to take the other parent to court for child maintenance payments rated on income worth more than £3000 a w

Answer

Andrew Western
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) calculates maintenance using the paying parent’s gross weekly income up to £3,000, ensuring contributions are fair and lower earners are protected through flat or nil rates. Where income exceeds £3,000, the receiving pa...

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