Government must act to fix broken Child Maintenance Service, demands Ian Sollom MP

As part of his campaign to ensure reform of the Child Maintenance Service, Ian Sollom has written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions urging her to take action.

Ian’s letter, which was signed by 26 other MPs and supported by charities Gingerbread, Surviving Economic Abuse and One Parent Families Scotland, has called on Liz Kendall to overhaul the system.

The call follows Ian’s debate in Parliament recently which saw MPs from across all parties condemn the CMS and highlight the distress and economic hardship it is causing to parents and children.

The CMS has seen staffing levels cut by nearly 40 per cent since 2019, resulting in huge delays in processing cases and payments.

Ian said: “Before my election last July, I confess the Child Maintenance Service hadn’t been on my radar as such an important issue. That changed almost immediately upon taking office as constituents came to me with accounts of their experiences with the CMS and appeals for help.

“These weren't isolated incidents or minor inconveniences – they revealed systemic failures: enforcement mechanisms that seem to exist in name only, loopholes exploited by those seeking to evade their responsibilities, inadequate protections for survivors of domestic abuse, and an impersonal bureaucracy that overwhelms those it should be there to help. The system fails paying parents too – waiting months for adjustments to be made if they hear anything at all.

“This is a national scandal. At a time when child poverty is on the rise, the Government ought to step up and deliver reform of the CMS to support children and families all over the country.”

Gingerbread, the charity supporting single parents, said: “Gingerbread is delighted to support Ian.

“The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) needs urgent reform to make it work for the over 1 million children around the country who rely on it. There is currently £682.1 million in unpaid maintenance owed to children across the UK and this money could make a real difference to families who are going without. We know that single parent households are almost twice as likely to be living in poverty as couple-parent households, if child maintenance was paid many could be lifted out of poverty and protected from the disadvantage this brings.

“It’s not just child poverty that would be improved by a properly functioning CMS. Our recent report shows that failures within the service mean that survivors of domestic abuse are not receiving the support and protection they need, and their lives could be put at risk.”

Ian will continue to put pressure on the Government to implement wholesale reform of this broken system.