1-20 of 2,726 results for subject:Maintenance
Librarians' tools
- Search time
- 0.256 seconds
- Solr query time
- 0.013 seconds
- Search query
- subject:Maintenance
- We searched for
- subject_t:Maintenance OR subject_ses:91913
Type
House
Session
More
Year
More
Department
More
Member
More
Primary member
More
Answering member
More
Legislative stage
Legislation
More
Subject
More
Publisher
To ask His Majesty's Government how many Child Maintenance Service-paying parents were liable to pay child maintenance of between £0.01 and £7.00 per week at the latest date for which data are available; and of those paying parents, how many were (1) in receipt of Universal Credit, and (2) subject...
To ask His Majesty's Government how many Child Maintenance Service-paying parents were liable to pay child maintenance of between £0.01 and £7.00 per week at the latest date for which data are available; and of those paying parents, how many were (1) in receipt of Universal Credit, and (2) subject...
To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of their commitment in 2023 to include unearned income in the standard calculation used by the Child Maintenance Service, when they intend to introduce the necessary legislation to facilitate this.
To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of their commitment in 2023 to include unearned income in the standard calculation used by the Child Maintenance Service, when they intend to introduce the necessary legislation to facilitate this.
The Department has recently completed a review of the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) calculation. This was underpinned by a substantial programme of research the results of which have been published.
Following the review, the Government intends to reduce the income tolerance from 25 per cent to 15 per cent so that changes in income are reflected more quickly in maintenance calculations. The Government also intends to include unearned income within the standard calculation, helping to ensure liabilities more accurately reflect a parent's financial circumstances and that more money reaches children.
Secondary legislation is required before implementation, which is subject to parliamentary approval. Further details on legislation and implementation will be communicated in due course.
We remain committed to ensuring that the CMS provides an effective service for separated parents and their children and continue to keep the operation of the child maintenance system under review and will consider any future changes in the context of wider priorities for supporting children and families.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will reconsider the cancellation of the public consultation on the Child Maintenance Service's calculation process.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will reconsider the cancellation of the public consultation on the Child Maintenance Service's calculation process.
The Department has recently completed a review of the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) calculation. This was underpinned by a substantial programme of research the results of which have been published.
Following the review, the Government intends to reduce the income tolerance from 25 per cent to 15 per cent so that changes in income are reflected more quickly in maintenance calculations. The Government also intends to include unearned income within the standard calculation, helping to ensure liabilities more accurately reflect a parent's financial circumstances and that more money reaches children.
Secondary legislation is required before implementation, which is subject to parliamentary approval. Further details on legislation and implementation will be communicated in due course.
We remain committed to ensuring that the CMS provides an effective service for separated parents and their children and continue to keep the operation of the child maintenance system under review and will consider any future changes in the context of wider priorities for supporting children and families.
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the methods used by absent parents on incomes above £156,000 to evade full and accurate assessment for child maintenance by the courts.
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the methods used by absent parents on incomes above £156,000 to evade full and accurate assessment for child maintenance by the courts.
Where a parent’s gross income exceeds £156,000 a year, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) makes a maximum maintenance calculation. Any further consideration of child maintenance is a matter for the courts, which have their own mechanisms for examining the finances of those involved in proceedings where relevant.
Where a paying parent’s income is not fully reflected in a statutory maintenance calculation, the CMS can take account of certain forms of diverted and unearned income through the variation process where income has not been fully reflected in a maintenance calculation. Where information is disputed or appears not to reflect a parent's true circumstances, caseworkers can access specialist support, including the Financial Investigation Unit.
The Government continues to work closely with HMRC to improve the quality and timeliness of income data and strengthen the identification of complex income arrangements. Assessments and processes are kept under review to help ensure that child maintenance liabilities accurately reflect parents' financial circumstances and that all parents contribute appropriately towards their children.
The CMS can provide information to the courts where requested through the proper legal process, including information used in child maintenance calculations and, where relevant, findings from CMS investigations
The CMS remains committed to ensuring that parents meet their financial responsibilities to their children.
To ask His Majesty's Government why the £156,000 cap on annual income earned by the absent parent eligible for assessment by the Child Maintenance Service has not been uprated since December 2012; and what assessment they have made of the resulting impact on child poverty.
To ask His Majesty's Government why the £156,000 cap on annual income earned by the absent parent eligible for assessment by the Child Maintenance Service has not been uprated since December 2012; and what assessment they have made of the resulting impact on child poverty.
The £156,000 annual gross income limit reflects the £3,000 gross weekly income threshold introduced with the 2012 child maintenance scheme. The scheme was designed to provide a standard formula for assessing child maintenance in most cases. Where a paying parent’s income exceeds this threshold, receiving parents may apply to the courts for a top-up order. Higher-income cases can involve more complex financial arrangements and, as intended when the scheme was introduced, the courts remain responsible for determining any additional maintenance above the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) calculation limit.
The Government keeps all aspects of the child maintenance system under consideration, but there are currently no plans to uprate this threshold.
A paying parent with gross weekly income of £3,000 or above would be liable for child maintenance of approximately £294 per week for one qualifying child, £392 per week for two qualifying children and £482 per week for three or more qualifying children under the statutory formula, before any adjustments for shared care or other factors.
Letter dated 01/07/2026 from Baroness Sherlock to Baroness Morris of Yardley regarding points raised in the debate on the Public Services Committee report 'Reforming the Child Maintenance Service': communications, enforcement and compliance, determining child maintenance liability. 5p.
Letter dated 01/07/2026 from Baroness Sherlock to Baroness Morris of Yardley regarding points raised in the debate on the Public Services Committee report 'Reforming the Child Maintenance Service': communications, enforcement and compliance, determining child maintenance liability. 5p.
Lords motion to take note of the third report of the Public Services Committee on Reforming the Child Maintenance Service (HL 181 2024-26). Agreed to on question.
Lords motion to take note of the third report of the Public Services Committee on Reforming the Child Maintenance Service (HL 181 2024-26). Agreed to on question.
My Lords, I am very pleased to speak to the report from the Public Services Committee, Reforming the Child Maintenance Service. In doing so, I thank everybody whose work has helped us to produce it. First and foremost, I thank those who gave us evidence, either in person in the...
My Lords, I am very pleased to speak to the report from the Public Services Committee, Reforming the Child Maintenance Service. In doing so, I thank everybody whose work has helped us to produce it. First and foremost, I thank those who gave us evidence, either in person in the...
My Lords, it was a pleasure to be on the committee formulating this report. We were led ably by our chair, the noble Baroness, Lady Morris of Yardley, and it was a pleasure to work with the other members of the committee. I should pay tribute to my noble friend...
My Lords, it was a pleasure to be on the committee formulating this report. We were led ably by our chair, the noble Baroness, Lady Morris of Yardley, and it was a pleasure to work with the other members of the committee. I should pay tribute to my noble friend...
My Lords, I too thank the noble Baroness, Lady Morris of Yardley, for her leadership in what was an important and complex inquiry. I also thank her for what she said just now, which I found a forensic analysis of the operation of the Child Maintenance Service. I thank all...
My Lords, I too thank the noble Baroness, Lady Morris of Yardley, for her leadership in what was an important and complex inquiry. I also thank her for what she said just now, which I found a forensic analysis of the operation of the Child Maintenance Service. I thank all...
My Lords, it is a heartrending statistic that 4 million of the UK’s 14 million children live in separated families. That is a higher proportion than in many European countries. The drawbacks of that situation are well known. Children from one-parent families show lower average educational attainment, reduced social mobility...
My Lords, it is a heartrending statistic that 4 million of the UK’s 14 million children live in separated families. That is a higher proportion than in many European countries. The drawbacks of that situation are well known. Children from one-parent families show lower average educational attainment, reduced social mobility...
My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Baroness, Lady Morris of Yardley, her committee and its support team for this report, which covered much ground and recommended far-reaching reforms that stand a good chance of improving outcomes. They address long-running problems with the service and its precursors.
To declare my interests,...
My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Baroness, Lady Morris of Yardley, her committee and its support team for this report, which covered much ground and recommended far-reaching reforms that stand a good chance of improving outcomes. They address long-running problems with the service and its precursors.
To declare my interests,...
My Lords, I wish to speak about the Public Services Committee’s report, Reforming the Child Maintenance Service. This was the first Select
Committee of which I have been a part since I joined the House. I have to say, in the end, I came away frustrated: frustrated for the children...
My Lords, I wish to speak about the Public Services Committee’s report, Reforming the Child Maintenance Service. This was the first Select
Committee of which I have been a part since I joined the House. I have to say, in the end, I came away frustrated: frustrated for the children...
My Lords, I first declare an interest, in that I was a member of the Public Services Committee. I loved being on that committee—and you will not hear that about many committees, I can tell you—and found it to be a really stimulating experience, so I applaud the chairmanship of...
My Lords, I first declare an interest, in that I was a member of the Public Services Committee. I loved being on that committee—and you will not hear that about many committees, I can tell you—and found it to be a really stimulating experience, so I applaud the chairmanship of...
My Lords, I am grateful to all noble Lords who have spoken and to the Public Services Committee, especially the former chair, my noble friend Lady Morris of Yardley, for her serious work on this. I am also grateful for the detailed and constructive report and express my thanks to...
My Lords, I am grateful to all noble Lords who have spoken and to the Public Services Committee, especially the former chair, my noble friend Lady Morris of Yardley, for her serious work on this. I am also grateful for the detailed and constructive report and express my thanks to...
My Lords, in responding briefly to the debate, I would first like to thank everybody who contributed. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience in this Room today. We made the same point about wishing to reform the system and make it better for children and parents. With that...
My Lords, in responding briefly to the debate, I would first like to thank everybody who contributed. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience in this Room today. We made the same point about wishing to reform the system and make it better for children and parents. With that...
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to consult on the formula for child maintenance.
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to consult on the formula for child maintenance.
The Government is finalising a review of the child maintenance calculation. This includes updating the underlying research and ensuring it is fair for both parents and encourages willing and able compliance.
The outcome of the review and next steps will be announced shortly.
To ask His Majesty's Government how many contributing parents (1) in total, and (2) as a percentage, have made zero child maintenance payments in (a) 2023–24, (b) 2024–25 and (c) 2025–26.
To ask His Majesty's Government how many contributing parents (1) in total, and (2) as a percentage, have made zero child maintenance payments in (a) 2023–24, (b) 2024–25 and (c) 2025–26.
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the joint briefing by Gingerbread, Surviving Economic Abuse, and Women’s Aid, “Maintenance is used as a weapon all of the time”: Domestic Abuse and the Child Maintenance Service, published on 22 April; and what steps they are taking to...
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the joint briefing by Gingerbread, Surviving Economic Abuse, and Women’s Aid, “Maintenance is used as a weapon all of the time”: Domestic Abuse and the Child Maintenance Service, published on 22 April; and what steps they are taking to...
In order to support victims/survivors of domestic abuse, all Child Maintenance Service (CMS) caseworkers receive extensive training and follow a well-managed process with clear steps to support and recognise domestic abuse, including coercive and controlling behaviour.
The CMS is strengthening support for victims/survivors, for example by making it easier for parents to switch to the Collect and Pay service and being clearer in its communication about what support is available for victims and survivors of domestic abuse and how to access it.
The government intends to remove Direct Pay. Doing so will go further in supporting victims/survivors, and we will do so as soon as parliamentary time allows.
The CMS maintains the accuracy of child maintenance calculations by using verified income information from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and benefit systems.
Information about the paying parent's gross income is taken directly from HMRC for the latest tax year available. This allows calculations to be made quickly and accurately. Any income subject to income tax including bonuses and overtime received by an employed paying parent, is included within their gross weekly income when calculating a child maintenance liability.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they consider the receipt of child maintenance to be important to the wellbeing of children.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they consider the receipt of child maintenance to be important to the wellbeing of children.
The Government is committed to ensuring that parents meet their financial responsibilities towards their children where they don’t live with them. The role of the Child Maintenance Service is crucial to help meet this objective where parents cannot make a child maintenance arrangement between themselves. In the 12 months up to September 2025, the CMS arranged around £1.6 billion in child maintenance payments.
Where parents fail to meet their financial obligation towards their children, the Child Maintenance Service will use its wide range of strong enforcement powers to help ensure they fulfil their responsibility.