Written questions

Children: Maintenance

Commons · Question 89039 · Tabled 10 Nov 2025 · Department for Work and Pensions · Official record

Answered 17 Nov 2025

Question

Asked by Luke Akehurst

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

Answered by Andrew Western, 17 Nov 2025

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...