Written Question·Department for Work and Pensions·UIN 16456

Children: Maintenance

Tabled: 7 July 2026

Answered: 14 July 2026

Question

Melanie Onn

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what further steps he is taking to close potential loopholes in Child Maintenance that allow paying parents to avoid the agreed payments if they are paid in cash.

Answer

Andrew Western

Where a paying parent changes jobs, The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) uses real-time information from HMRC where available, to quickly identify new employment and adjust maintenance calculations accordingly. People who are self-employed are required to ...

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