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Children: Maintenance

Asked by Suella BravermanReform UKDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled Answered 9 June 2025UIN 54994

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to conduct a full audit of Child Maintenance Service accounts and third-party payments in the last ten years.

Answered by Andrew Western

Since 2012 the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) has been an operational directorate of the Department for Work and Pensions. The operational costs of running the CMS are included within the overall Departmental accounts that are published annually. These accounts are audited every year by the National Audit Office and a report is prepared for Parliament by the Comptroller and Auditor General. These are available at the following link: DWP annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK

The monies received in and paid out by the Child Maintenance Service are reported in separate accounts, which are also published annually. These are audited every year by the National Audit Office and a report is prepared for Parliament by the Comptroller and Auditor General. These are available at the following link: Child maintenance: client funds accounts - GOV.UK

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