Children: Maintenance
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Child Maintenance Service takes to ensure that a paying parent's stated preference regarding their payment arrangement is recorded and taken into account before a final decision is made; and what safeguards exist to ensure that decisions are not made solely on the basis of telephone calls that a paying parent was unable to answer.
Answered by Department for Work and Pensions
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) records and considers relevant information provided by both parents when administering child maintenance arrangements. Where a parent expresses a preference regarding their payment arrangement, this information is considered alongside all other relevant evidence and the circumstances of the case before a decision is made. The CMS seeks to engage with both parents and records information provided by them regarding payment arrangements. Before making a decision, the CMS considers all relevant information available. Where a parent cannot be contacted by telephone, alternative contact methods may be used to ensure they have the opportunity to provide information. Decisions are not made solely because a telephone call was unanswered and are taken in accordance with the statutory child maintenance scheme and the circumstances of the individual case.
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