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Topical question asked in the House of Commons, by Josh Dean (Labour). It was answered on Monday, 29 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Topical Questions

Question

The Child Maintenance Service has told one of my constituents that because the father of her children is claiming benefits, he can pay her only £6.73 a week, even though the CMS is aware that he has an additional hidden income of £97,000. Sadly, that is not an isolated case. Will the Minister set out, for my constituent, what the Government are doing to strengthen enforcement so that such cases can be treated as criminal matters?

Answer

My hon. Friend has made an important point. The Child Maintenance Service is committed to ensuring that separated parents support their children financially, and to ensuring that the assessment reflects the parents’ true income. I am not familiar with the specifics of the case that my hon. Friend has raised, but my general view is that while enforcement powers are adequate, case complexity is often the challenge when it comes to proving where money is owed. If my hon. Friend wants to write to me about that specific case, I would be happy to look into it further on his behalf.

Secondary information

Type
Oral question
Reference
788 c620 
Session
2026-27
Oral question type
1st Supplementary
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
Children Crime Maintenance Personal income Social security benefits
Link
View this Topical question on hansard.parliament.uk