Parents who fail to pay child maintenance will face tougher
sanctions faster after new laws were passed today (20/07/23) to
speed up stronger enforcement action.
Thanks to a Private Members' Bill sponsored by and becoming law, the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will be able to impose
tougher sanctions on non-paying parents – such as forcing the
sale of property and taking away passports and driving licences –
through a quick and simple administrative process.
The Child Support (Enforcement) Act will see families paid faster
as it gives DWP the power to use a liability order to reclaim
unpaid child maintenance instead of applying to court and waiting
up to 20 weeks.
This time and money-saving change will allow the Child
Maintenance Service (CMS) to take action swiftly, paying families
faster and preventing further arrears.
DWP Minister said:
“This is another step in our work to strengthen our powers and
improve how the Child Maintenance Service supports children of
separated parents.
“We want parents to collaborate where at all possible, but if the
financial responsibilities to children are not being met, the CMS
will help those in need.
“This new law will help speed up the enforcement process to get
money flowing which ultimately will be for the benefit of
children.”
Before escalating to this tougher enforcement action, the CMS has
other options including collecting earnings direct from parents’
employers or different bank accounts.
The CMS helps more than 900,000 children get the financial
support they are entitled to and between March 2022-2023
collected or arranged a record £1.2 billion on their behalf.
Child maintenance payments help to keep 160,000 children out of
poverty each year.
The Private Members' Bill received cross-party support, with both
Houses recognising its importance in helping children have the
best start in life.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- In the last 12 months (to March 2023), the CMS collected or
arranged a record £1.2 billion for children of separated parents
- There are now 905,100 children covered by the service – an
increase of 11 per cent since the end of March 2022
- As the DWP further legislates this change, it will continue
to protect paying parents’ appeal rights so they can fairly
challenge any decisions. The new law will apply to Great Britain
although Scotland will implement the change separately.
- Cases involving complex income or suspected fraudulent
behaviour can be looked into by the CMS’s Financial Investigation
Unit (FIU). For example, to recalculate and collect payments
where parents might be declaring lower incomes but have money
flowing elsewhere – like excessive pension contributions or
company dividends.
